Oral histories have been a part of human civilisation for centuries. Oral narratives have helped us shape society, create a sense of continuity and build connections with the past, present and future. Humans have survived because they have used storytelling to preserve and pass past knowledge and wisdom to future generations.
This week, we launched Story Heirlooms, an e-book to help you gather, preserve and honour family stories. Written like a handy Storytelling Guide, Story Heirlooms helps you look at family stories as living legacies that shape your present and future.
Family stories are narratives passed down from one generation to the next, capturing personal experiences, cultural traditions, and historical events through the lens of family members. They encompass memories of childhood, tales of ancestors, significant life milestones, and everyday moments that collectively form the unique identity of a family. Think of the stories you may have heard about your parents, their growing up years, the stories of your grandparents and their lives. Even if you have not met some of your ancestors in your lifetime, their stories help you build a connection with them.
I’ve been deeply invested in personal story journaling, gathering & archiving since 2020. I lost my aunt in the first wave of Covid-19 & it suddenly hit me that with a person’s passing, we lose their life’s stories. I was left with a one-dimensional view of her life. I would never know what was she like as a child or a young woman. Of course I knew some stories but they were scattered over a lifetime of hearing and in the end I was left with a longing to preserve more of her.
Being my father’s daughter, I heard many stories from him in the past 4 decades. Some of those stories were my childhood & growing up companions. In 2016 both of us sat down to record some of his stories. 3 weeks after his passing, as I returned to work I pulled out one of the excerpts to listen to. Listening to his voice when he was healthy, filled me with so much strength.
In the end we tend to remember more of the later years, or the more recent memories of the person. Listening to him recall the earlier parts of his life was almost like meeting a familiar yet unknown man.
I had to do justice to all that he had left behind, in me, the story heirlooms.
Grief is a private space for many of us. It is for me too. However, I realised that surrendering to the universe of stories helped me deal with my loss.
Can I even suggest this path to someone else?
How can I hand-hold people into gathering family stories at their own pace? I’ve been working with story prompts since 2021. My story prompts have helped people document life stories and journal experiences that have shaped them. I knew that story prompts would be at the heart of this book.
I also realised that in the age of Chat-GPT, a story prompt would not be enough! If someone has to gather Story Heirlooms, they will need to learn how to be a story gatherer. They will have to shift their perspective from being a family member, to becoming an investigative journalist, a biographer or an oral historian!
In the fast paced humdrum of our lives, Story Heirlooms would give you the chance to slow down, gather around an elder, have intimate conversations and listen to stories of their good old times. Whether you have ageing elders, members dealing with illness, loss of social contact, or memory, Story Heirlooms would be your gateway into Reminiscence Therapy. As a form of Talk Therapy, recalling one’s stories help people manage their emotions and deal with life changes better than others. While ‘therapy’ is best left to experts, I would urge you to use the Story Heirlooms process to help elders at home who are vulnerable to loneliness, depression and memory loss.
If there is one thing that I fondly remember from my journalism days, it is the power of a personal story. When you ask for a story, you are giving the person a space to reflect, recollect and recount their lives. You are opening the doors to a safe space where they can meet different versions of themselves. As they recreate their past stories for you, they live it again and experience it with the wisdom of their present lives.
It won’t be easy and so Story Heirlooms, will be a steady companion and guide during this journey. The ebook contains in-depth description of why and how gathering stories will help you and your family. It handholds you as you prepare your elder (and the rest of the family) for story gathering. From dealing with memory loss, fatigue, a sense of overwhelm, the ebook contains suggestions how to slow down and cover ground. You will know how to use the 100 + story prompts in the book, learn to break stories into small segments and stitch them up as a narrative. By the end of the exercise, you will be equipped to gather stories of your own!
At the heart of Story Heirlooms is a special chapter called Story Dust. Written especially for those who have lost loved ones, this chapter will guide you to gather stories of elders who have passed. While the entire book is still relevant and useful for such readers, this chapter comes with additional 50 prompts that can be used to document stories from those you have known the elder in their lifetime.
Today, we have the book. However, we have more plans for readers and users of the book. Story Heirlooms Chroniclers promises to be a community of story gatherers who help each other on the story gathering journey. We will continue to hold Story Heirloom Circles to share stories and honour them in a safe space.
Story Heirlooms is written as a special tribute to my father, my favourite storyteller, my mentor, coach and co-founder. I hope this ebook helps you cherish the stories of your elders. Story Heirlooms is my first ebook. I would like to invite you to read the book, test the prompts and verify the process. Highlight the portions that you like. Put the spotlight on the cobwebs that I can brush away. Take me to corners where it’s still dark.
Early Reviews of Story Heirlooms
Click the image above to access the book
As Your Story Bag completes 10 years, we know we will it continue to use stories and storytelling to create a better world.
