Rescuing the past

Rescuing the past (preserving your life for future generations)

Will your life story pass away when you do? Are you a silent hero or heroine who thinks your contributions to the world, family and friends are meaningless? Even without fame or notoriety will your children be able to answer your grandchild’s’ questions, “What were your Mom and Dad like?”  Before you shrug it off, here’s a story of the discovered diary of a silent hero, the Dad of a pastor friend of ours.  

During WWII, Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds served as the highest-ranking noncom for his unit captured and imprisoned in a German prisoner- of- war camp. One morning a Nazi officer asked him to identify all Jewish soldiers under his command as he pointed a gun to Sergeant Edmonds head. His reply, “We are all Jews here.” The Nazi backed down. Sergeant Edmonds saved 200 Jewish lives along with everyone else under his command. liberated by Americans several weeks later. He didn’t tell his family any details. He simply returned to his work, took care of his family, and lived out his life as a Christian until he passed away. Yet 30 years later his grand- daughter discovered his diary filled with the beautiful legacy of his bravery.  (full story: https://nbcnews.to/2EFPStA)

Not all of us rise to such hero status but surely our children and grandchildren would like to know more about us than what Ancestry.com offers.  And I’d wager they would love to hear your stories about the world you grew up in, any accomplishments, and family memories both personal and professional. 

For example, I loved hearing my Pop talk about movie tickets in the Bronx- two for 5 cents- and how kids scrambled in front of the ticket booth shouting, I’ve got 2! Who’s got 3?”  Often though, our children and grandchildren don’t necessarily want to hear our stories now but in later years they might say, “I wish I had asked my parents more about their lives. Now it’s too late.”  

I’m a poet and children’s book author and I’m guessing many of you have written poems, short stories or kept diaries that you’ve never shared. But you don’t have to be a poet or writer. It’s your legacy written your way. I encourage you to be intentional. With today’s technology, it’s easy and inexpensive to jot down the “All about you and your World” with funny stories, how you met your spouse, what was your first car, and so much more to share with family and your future generations.  

Both my parents immigrated from Russia as children and met in New York. Marrying, then raising five children and working two jobs, they didn’t share much about their past. I don’t have any idea of their memories of going through Ellis Island. I have only a brief snippet about my grandmother leaving Russia by boarding a ship to Cuba with my mom and her two brothers, then later arriving in America to to meet my grandfather who had come a year before.

I want to know more and it’s too late! Their generation shared very little, especially hardships. But don’t be afraid to share the hardships of your life. You’d be surprised how much of a blessing and comfort you can offer.  2 Corinthians 1:3-5 says it this way, blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort we ourselves are comforted of God.

 Since I don’t know enough of my parents’ history I want to make sure I leave my children with as many stories as I can. I’ve collected our family Christmas newsletters and other stories I’ve written down over the years.  I arranged them in a three-ring binder and added dates and locations. My wife even made a bullet point list of all the places we’ve lived in the US and countries we’ve lived in or visited while serving in missions. She included addresses, why we were there and what jobs we held.

They love the stories we’ve already shared about living on the world’s largest Christian hospital ship.  I’m often surprised when my son shares something he is struggling with and remembers, “You know Pops, it’s like that time you were in Romania and met so many poor people or in Senegal in the slave prisons on Gorèe Island where you felt so sad.”  I ‘m not sure whether I’m more surprised that he’s read our stories or that he remembers and learned from them.

I mentioned technology earlier. Many companies will help you from start to finish if you decide to self-publish a family memoir. Inexpensive laptops are available that you could set up with a simple word processor since it’s hard to find a typewriter these days. LOL  You could talk into a CD recorder or an iPhone to tell your stories. Your family will treasure your voice and photos.  Of course, the simple black and white notebooks we used in school are still a good tool to simply write in longhand. Finally, use the truly old fashioned but memorable letter to send a note every month which includes a piece of your personal history.

Above all, don’t let your history leave this world with you!

Paul Samuels is a published poet and children’s book author. https://paulsamuels.com/

Prior to retiring, he spent most of his professional career in international humanitarian aid organizations and later as an entrepreneur owner of real estate schools.