Growing in Generosity

4 Ways to Share Your Story This Christmas

One of Dave Isay’s earliest memories involves capturing the stories of his grandparents and great-aunts on a small cassette recorder (remember those?). He turned his love of stories into a vocation as founder of StoryCorps. This organization has recorded stories from more than 600,000 people and preserved them at the Library of Congress. Many of these stories are shared between family members and friends, ranging from serious to side-splitting and everything in between.

You also have a story to steward. Some parts are funny, others spotlight the ups and downs, and all of it has shaped the person you are and the values you hold dear. It’s a story your family wants—and needs—to hear. Take advantage of holiday togetherness and share it with your loved ones. We have some prompts to get you started:

Talk about traditions. Do you know why you always serve prune whip with your Christmas meal? Or where did that particular Christmas tree ornament come from? It’s important to talk about those traditions to preserve memories, remember loved ones, and bring deeper meaning to these practices.

Interview yourself. We often think of interviewing others to get their stories, but you don’t need to wait for someone to talk to you—do it yourself! Create a list of questions or find some online and share your answers.

Go online. There are a number of online tools and apps available to prompt and capture stories, from Storyworth to Remento. You may find these especially helpful if you want to turn your story into a keepsake book or video.

Impact others. At the heart of your story are the values important to you, as well as the causes close to your heart. Including a gift in your will is a meaningful way to share that with your family—and impact others beyond your lifetime.

Your faithful support over the years makes you a significant part of our story and we’re so grateful. You and your story embody these words from Mother Teresa, “I alone can’t change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”