I’m on a mission to help as many families make sure that they have at least a few of their family stories curated. At the heart of that mission is trying to remove any obstacles and hindrances that are holding you back.

I’m always aware of one big hindrance because it plagues me as well. Time. Where does it go and why can’t we find some of it to simply sit down and type or write out some stories?

Even those of you who are fortunate enough to be retired know that time just slips quickly by each day. There are still tasks that need to be done and lots of interesting things to do. Finding the time to sit down and write a story about your life gets put off for the next day and the next. 

Now of course there are other factors that hold many of us up, but in my mind the urgency of making sure that your stories aren’t lost to time and forgetfulness requires a sharp focus. 

What if instead of considering ALL the stories you’d like for your descendants to have from you just focus at first on 5. That’s right. Just 5.

I call these “The Big 5.”

Before I tell you what I think the Big 5 should be, I’ll say quite honestly that you should choose your own Big 5! But if you need a place to start, here are what I consider to be the 5 most important storylines that your ancestors deserve to hear from you. In your own words.

Here are the Big 5 stories to write first for your family story collection.

1. Personal Faith – your spiritual faith or other life passion that has guided you morally.

Tell the story of how you came to believe in a higher power and how it influenced and shaped your life.

2. Marriages & Weddings – love stories and lives together.

Write about how you met and fell in love with your spouse.  Not married anymore? If you are leaving stories for the children that you shared, they most likely will still want to hear how your love story began.

3. Births – the births of your children, grandchildren, ancestors, etc.

Write about the births of the special people in your life and maybe even your own. 

4. Career / Major Life Pursuit – the story of career dreams and jobs you had.

Not everyone’s career path came from childhood dreams. Many of us had LOTS of different jobs and responsiblities throughout our lives. Give your descendants insight into your work.

5. Pets – the stories about cats, dogs, lizards, rabbits, etc. that made your life better.

Tell a story about the pets you had as a child and with the family you created later.

So there you have it. Five topics to write about from your own life experiences or those of an ancestor that will be treasured by your descendants as well as your immediate family.

Now Get Started

With these topics in mind, choose one and get started! I know. I know. It’s hard to get started.

But, trust me. Once you’ve taken the step to write one… more will follow. 

If you need more inspiration, I’ll be writing more about each of my suggested Big 5 topics very soon.