In 2009, I spent a weekend creating a mini-documentary featuring my mom and her siblings as a way to re-energize our annual family reunion’s history. I put an enormous amount of energy into the last minute project and it’s had a lasting positive impact on my family. It served the purpose I initially envisioned it would, but despite all this goodness, I hesitated on sharing my family video and encouraging you to seek out ways to preserve your family’s stories.
Good old fear held me back. The result didn’t represent my best video editing work and my footage is grainy. Whatever. What makes it so good are the stories. Get them. NOW. Whether you start shooting on your phone or whatever you have, capture what you can while you can!
Here are 3 reasons you should use video to retain your family history:
It resonates with “the next generation.” This time the young kids listened to and paid attention to the history portion during our annual Easter Dinner program. Actually they sat there and watched it a few times more afterwards. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good family tree and listing of who begat who, but video storytelling catches (and keeps) the attention of everybody.
It keeps our family’s stories alive. Sometimes we get in the mood to reminisce and turn to this DVD. It’s a family affair that brings us together to laugh, smile and talk about the importance of family. Since filming it, I lost my Aunt Sarah but when I watch this, I feel a little better.
I don’t think we realize how easily memories and stories deteriorate over time. People pass and take so much of our family history with them.
PIN IT! My mom and her siblings during her younger days. Can you point out my mom? We look JUST ALIKE!
It connects us to our past. Flipping through photo albums I asked “who is that?” My mom told me stories and pointed out historical facts and I asked “why didn’t you ever tell me that?” She claims she did and I never listened. I believe we’re equally at fault. When I was a kid I probably considered all that stuff as boring, but I also feel like sometimes our elders don’t talk much about the past because they don’t have a “reason.” We never ask them!
And sometimes the past is just plain painful to recount or hear. My mom and her siblings grew up as sharecroppers during the Great Depression. Schools were segregated and for the older girls and the guys, they had to quit to work in the fields. Still family was so central to everything they did that when I hear them reflect on the times they all seemed so happy in the midst of trouble.
I don’t want to forget that. I don’t want the next generation to be ignorant of that and take our current lifestyles for granted. Many of us are living out the dreams our ancestors prayed for, fought for, and died trying to make happen. Retaining the memory of their sacrifices, accomplishments, every day moments, and passing these values on is the least we could do to honor them.