Your grandchildren will never see you the way your own children did. They’ll be born into a world where you’re already old, or perhaps where you’re already gone. They won’t remember you young and strong. They won’t know what your voice sounded like when you were in your prime, full of energy and dreams and plans for the future. But if you record your oral history now, they’ll know you in a way that transcends time. The Voice They’ll Recognize Imagine your great-granddaughter,

When we think about preserving a loved one’s story, it’s easy to imagine it as something we do for them -- a gift. A way to make sure their memories don’t disappear. But this is bigger than that one person. It's for the whole family, including generations to come. A parent’s memories are also the origin story of their children. A grandparent’s experiences quietly shaped the traditions, values, and decisions that ripple through a family today. Even the stories we think we alre

It may not be as difficult as you think. If you’ve ever thought, “I would love to have this recorded, but they’d never agree,” you’re not alone. Often, the people whose stories matter most are the hardest to convince. Not because they don’t care, but because they don’t see themselves the way you see them. Here are some gentle, respectful ways to approach the conversation. ⸻ 1. Start with love, not the film Before you mention cameras or recording, start with why. Instead of: “

(Hint: It's not what you think) When people think about preserving family history, they often start with the basics: names, dates, places. Where you were born. When you married. How many children you had. Those details matter. But here’s the truth most families only discover too late: that’s not what your grandchildren will be most curious about. What future generations really want to know is who you were—not on paper, but in life. It’s Not the Timeline. It’s the Texture. Ima