Wordsanctuary Revisited

Musings of a writer-teacher-counselor.

My Photo
Name:
Location: Cleveland, Ohio, United States

I am inquisitive and have worked in writing, editing, and teaching. I am a citizen of the USA and also concerned about the world. This is an addendum to my original blog, Wordsanctuary. That's at www.wordsanctuary.blogspot.com Please check out my column at www.insidehighered.com, "A Kinder Campus." Click on Career Advice to find it. Thanks for stopping by.

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Reflecting on Family History

This year: Consider people who are important in your life. Elicit the stories they know about who has been important to them. Write the memories down, even imperfectly. (I wish I had started much sooner.) Listen with your heart. Each story and each human is utterly unique. But the cosmic heart that connects us beats in unison.

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

If you are lucky enough to have family members that know the history of your family, record what you can from them, as Maria so wonderfully states in Reflecting on Family History.

Should a stranger surprise you with a memoir about your family,(it happened to us, it can happen to you,) you will know the truth.

Do not count on anyone but yourself and if you are lucky, an interested sibling will help you to fix the errors. Find a sibling or relative who cares and join forces to search for the facts for your children and future generations.

As Maria so beautifully states,
"the cosmic heart that connects us beats in unison".

January 4, 2008 at 11:08 PM  
Blogger Maria said...

Memoir, as you point out, is a very demanding type of writing because it requires a balance of objective and subjective realities. Few live in utter isolation; that is not how this planet works. When publishing a memoir in which a personal saga and historical events intertwine, it's an especially delicate process. Too much can be forgotten if stories are not passed on; however, readers must be vigilant in evaluating what they read. Thanks for your comment!

January 5, 2008 at 11:52 PM  

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home