You think you are going to remember the old family stories forever, but you don't so it's a good idea to write those stories down. One cousin of mine is turning the old family stories into children's books for her grandchild. I think that's a perfect way to capture family history and give a child a sense of place and the people they belong to.
There are some fun family stories my parents have told over and over again. I will spend a few days with my parents soon, and during that time I'd like to fill in the blanks of these stories by talking to my parents and writing the stories down.
Those stories include the following:
- Grampy, Scotty, and the kids delivering World War 2 letters from soldiers to their families
- Hiking to Coes Pond
- Sneaking the chicken, Marshmallow, onto the train in a cereal box on the trip from Worcester to Newton
- Chasing the dog through the Whipple St. Woods
- Going to the movies with Uncle Jack, but ending up in the barroom instead
- Generous Johnny Galvin
- The sorority card game that changed my mother's life
- The nude bather beneath the Coast Guard Lighthouse station on Nantucket and getting stuck in the Nantucket surf
- Buoy tending off Statan Island
- The Moose story
These stories all bring smiles and mischief to my parents' eyes. These are tales I want to pass down because they exhibit family spunk, adventure, mischief, and care. Onward.