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With the mature generation working longer years and with families living so far apart, it is difficult to impart family stories and memories of days gone by to the younger generation. Our stories and memories are priceless, and our children and grandchildren will want them at some point in their lives.

There are several different ways we can record these family treasures.

• Keep a journal ~ Start keeping a daily journal now, recording anything you deem valuable, and add your stories to it as you go.

• Make an audio recording ~ The last few years of my step-father’s life, he would talk into an old-fashioned tape recorder, reliving his years in the Navy, or as a young boy during the Great Depression. These cassette recordings can be transferred over to CDs.

• Make a video ~ Set up your video camera (if you have very many grandchildren, you probably have one) on a tripod, sit down in your favorite chair and start your story. If I were the recipient of these memories, this one might be my favorite.

• Make a scrapbook ~ So many women are scrap-booking and using those great stamps and kits to make beautiful photo albums. This would be a great medium to share your stories. Hand write or type out your memories and inter-mingle them with treasured photographs.

• Record your favorite family recipes ~ There are quite a few blank cookbooks available that are intended for recording your own recipes. They come with dividers and often have plastic covers for the pages. This will be a valued heirloom.

• Create a Memory Book ~ Type in ‘memory book’ in your favorite search engine and you will find many books created for documenting your memories. Some will even say “Grandpa’s Memories” or “Mom’s Memories,” or even “My Family Tree.” There may be different headings throughout the pages, such as “When I met your Grandma” or “The places I lived.” These books will give you a road map of how to capture these stories, if you need inspiration.

With all these resources available, there is no reason not to make this precious gift for your family. Why not get started now?