My mother in law has just passed away and with her almost 100 years of memories and history.
As I write this I am thinking about the obituary we will be writing for her old school magazine. We were lucky in that, several years ago, I had the foresight to encourage her to record her memories onto a cassette tape. It was easy for her to use and gave her something to do when she was alone. We now have a series of voice recordings copied on my computer full of her school, family and war memories – in her voice. Priceless! It is so much more personal and poignant than the written word can be.
It is a timely reminder that unless we record our memories and history, at some point, it will all be lost in the midst of time. Many historians (family and social) concentrate on researching people, places and events of times gone by. Our own lives in the here and now hold little importance to us, but they are as important to our descendants as our ancestors lives are to us. Surely the future researchers are entitled to facts and first-hand accounts of our lives after we have gone. Assuming our children or grandchildren don’t throw them away.
I have said this before and will say it again, record the memories of your nearest and dearest, and your own whilst you still have the time and wits to do it. You will never know when it will be too late, until it is.
Further reading: Don’t put off until tomorrow
