In the Scrapbooking section of LifeWriter’s Digest is “Save the Story Behind the Photos: Six Strategies”, a worthwhile read if you are into scrapbooking or photo albums, and especially if you are recording your family’s stories.

Our family stories are in danger of being lost. But, it doesn’t have to happen! Anyone‹including you‹can learn to preserve personal and family stories in writing. It’s not that hard to reverse the loss of family memory.

The quickest and easiest place to start is the family photo album. You can transform your memories from scattered recollections into a well-organized heritage or lifestory album by “photoscribing” - writing the stories your photos depict. What a meaningful gift for your family now and for future generations!

We often tell our stories to one another as we leaf through the pages of our scrapbooks. But, unless those stories are written down, they survive only as long as the words hang in the air. Think of all the photos you have from your parents and grandparents. Can you identify all the relatives and friends? Do you know the stories behind the photos? Or, are they lost?

Excellent point. Do you know who these people are? And do you know the stories behind those pictures?

It’s important that your descendants understand more than the dates of your birth, marriage, and death. We want to know who you were, how you lived, and what kept you going through the good and the bad. We want the stories.

As you uncover the stories of your past, make sure you record them, in addition to the photographs, so your descendants can share the stories behind the photographs.