In August, I attended Louisa Bisogno’s writing class: Telling Your Story as a Catholic Writer. She broke the news to us the first night: after two generations we will be forgotten. Think about it. How much do you know about your great grandparents? Unless they were intentional about chronicling family stories verbally or in writing, and unless your grandparents and parents have been intentional about passing them on, their life lessons, challenges, accomplishments, and personalities have been lost. You might have far more in common with your paternal great grandfather than either of your parents; his wisdom and experience might have been able to help guide you.

Our class assignment was to write a short story about ourselves that we will give to our children or relatives. It could be an anecdote about a particular incident or a broader life message. Putting it in writing cements the story in family history and helps those who come after us connect with the life experiences and personalities that shaped their family environment. One woman wrote about her grandfather. He has been dead over forty years, but her loving memories of him have shaped a lifetime of hobbies and interests. Her nieces and nephews never knew him personally, but her heartfelt story will bring to life a slice of their own history.

I wrote about my preteen and teen years and how those experiences and the people that taught and mentored me are still with me today. I began thinking I would write a funny story about those formative years but reflecting got me pondering deeper. In addition to parents and grandparents, Mrs. Waite my 4-H leader, and Mrs. Kaminsky, my junior and senior high school art teacher, are two of the countless people I know that invested thousands of hours into children like me. But they were not the beginning of the chain. They each had parents, teachers, and mentors that invested in them; critical community members that gave unselfishly for the good of family and society. Today, we are those critical men and women that are influencing the people we invest our time into – and not just the ones we see and touch, but also the people that they will influence in the future and so forth for generations to come. Rushing through our days we can miss the big picture of how our lives were formed and how we are forming others. As disciples, let us remember that as part of the Body of Christ, we are shaping and influencing God’s Kingdom from now until the end of time.

Scripture: Read Proverbs 27:17. What stands out?

Call to Action: Write down your own life and family stories to share with your family members.  They will treasure them!