Goodbye America and More
Memoirs-Sharing Family Stories
October 20, 2010 by Rita Malie
Thinking about your legacy? Wondering how to achieve a small measure of immortality? Write a memoir.
“There is nothing new, but that which has been forgotten.” There is a national appetite of our confessional times. This is the age of the memoir, which is the greatest gift you can give your family. Every family has important stories that should be told to preserve their heritage. It is unique and will be an important part of the legacy you leave for future generations.
I wrote Goodbye America, which is a memoir of my mother’s childhood and historic events that shaped her life: the flu pandemic of 1918, World War I and immigration. She recounted her story to three generations in our family to ensure important lessons:
• Family love
• Family loyalty
• Hope, when life seems to be falling apart
• Strength of the human spirit overcoming unthinkable odds
• Never forget the blessings of living in a free country.
Researchers have found that a sense of family history is linked to children’s self-esteem. It’s important our children know their past.
Why are memoirs so interesting to readers? Who would want to read about someone else’s life? Why are they important?
They are important because readers find pieces of themselves in memoirs. They help to carry us back into the past, allowing us to connect small moments and see larger meanings.
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