Memories are an important part of our lives. They’re an accumulation of the people, experiences and things that have mattered to us. Often, family members know little about the early lives of older loved ones. Recording your memories gives your children and grandchildren a more complete view of you and the life you’ve lived. If you would like to preserve your memories to share with current and future generations of your family, Harpswell Aging at Home’s Living Histories program can help.
A living history is different than a memoir or autobiography. It’s a collage, or scrapbook, of written and other materials that are important to you. It can include things like fond memories, childhood experiences, treasured stories, favorite things, family history, poems, newspaper clippings, letters, recipes, photos and more. No writing experience is necessary.
If you would like to create a living history, you would meet with a trained coach for an hour to an hour and a half each week for about eight weeks. The coach provides encouragement and support, offers suggestions and ideas, and gives feedback. The coach creates the final document for you by taking any material you’ve written and converting it into a digital format. The coach also scans any photos or documents, color or black and white, you want to include.