Why Should We Write Memoirs and Family Stories?

Memoirs are popular now, and so are family stories. Both illustrate our poster quote today. Write what should not be forgotten.

Another quote that has stayed with me is one that says we write about our memories to taste life twice. We do like to savor the happy times and the people we cared about in our past. We write about the warmth of family, the gathering of all the relatives for a holiday dinner or a summer reunion. We pen words about our school experiences, our 'best friend forever' people, our first romance and more. These are the people and the moments we want to keep close in our memory bank.

Some memoirists will tell you they wish they could have forgotten what they ultimately wrote about. It's easy to write about our good memories. The bad, or sad, ones give the writer some problems but what happened has added to making you the person you are. I firmly believe we should not forget those difficult times in our life, but we can eventually put them into the background and move on with life. We can't erase whatever occurred, but we can face it and then move on. 

I think many memoirists will say that writing their book helped them deal with the situation, allowed them to face it and then move it into the past. That's one reason we write memoirs and family stories--to help us heal the hurt so we can get on with life.

As I mentioned above, all the good things and the hard to deal with experiences are what made you the person you are today. Write memoir stories and full books. Write your family stories. Not only should your memories be kept for you but also shared with others. What happened to you can be comforting to others who might have had the same kind of experience. Your family stories can trigger your readers' own memories.