"Every death is like the burning of a library," so said Alex Haley, the author of the Pulitzer-Prize winning book 'Roots.' That's because our stories go with us when we die, unless of course they have been written down.
'Roots: The Saga of an American Family' chronicled his ancestors' origins in Africa and their passage from slavery to freedom in America. The book created huge interest in geneology among ethnic Americans and led to the ABC TV series, Roots, which attracted millions of viewers early in 1977.
Alex died of a sudden heart attack at the age of 70. Had he not have written
'Roots', it would have been like the burning of many libraries.
Life is so tenuous - it can disappear without warning. And that's a very hard fact to accept. Writing your own life story, or family story is a huge job but it's the best gift you can ever give your family and the generations that come after them.
A member of my mother's side of my family is currently tracing our family back to the 1600s to create a book to be shared by family members. It's a mammoth task and I'm so happy she's doing it.
Like everything in life, the hardest part is taking the first step. Once you start researching the excitement of a "find" spurs you on and on...
But with everyone leading such busy lives it's hard to find the time to take on such a huge commitment. That's where Celebrating Life's Chapters can help. A caring and sensitive interview can help you recall stories that you would like to pass on. But it doesn't have to be an entire life story. Perhaps you may just opt for life's lessons you've learnt, that you feel are important to leave to future generations.
So don't risk burning your own library. Think about telling your story, or stories to be left as a wonderful and valuable legacy, it could be the best thing you can ever do...
'Roots: The Saga of an American Family' chronicled his ancestors' origins in Africa and their passage from slavery to freedom in America. The book created huge interest in geneology among ethnic Americans and led to the ABC TV series, Roots, which attracted millions of viewers early in 1977.
Alex died of a sudden heart attack at the age of 70. Had he not have written
'Roots', it would have been like the burning of many libraries.
Life is so tenuous - it can disappear without warning. And that's a very hard fact to accept. Writing your own life story, or family story is a huge job but it's the best gift you can ever give your family and the generations that come after them.
A member of my mother's side of my family is currently tracing our family back to the 1600s to create a book to be shared by family members. It's a mammoth task and I'm so happy she's doing it.
Like everything in life, the hardest part is taking the first step. Once you start researching the excitement of a "find" spurs you on and on...
But with everyone leading such busy lives it's hard to find the time to take on such a huge commitment. That's where Celebrating Life's Chapters can help. A caring and sensitive interview can help you recall stories that you would like to pass on. But it doesn't have to be an entire life story. Perhaps you may just opt for life's lessons you've learnt, that you feel are important to leave to future generations.
So don't risk burning your own library. Think about telling your story, or stories to be left as a wonderful and valuable legacy, it could be the best thing you can ever do...
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