I’ve helpe
d many, many first-time authors write and publish their memoir. Each one of these projects filled me with pride and inspiration as I saw the courage and depths of inner work each person persevered through. One that comes to mind is I Did Not Miss the Boat, a memoir by Lea Tran: “Together with five hundred others, she and her family left everything they knew in hopes of a better future as ‘boat people’, part of the mass exodus of refugees from post-war Vietnam.” And One Little Pill: My Journey from Addiction and Darkness to Purpose and Light, by Deb Lawless-Miller. I could go on and on recalling with deep appreciation so many brave souls and their amazing stories.
Writing a book, some feel, is too daunting a task. Okay, then do this: write one true story.
Often called an “personal essay,” your recollection and account of a meaningful time in your life is a perfect and easy way to leave footprints. Years ago, I led workshops to help people do this, the class being titled “You Lived to Tell It.” I’ll never forget Marcia, who wrote her essay in long-hand and asked me to type it for her, which I did. She wrote about a time thirty years earlier, when she and her husband had made a big move across the country. Being uprooted from all that she knew was both terrifying and exciting. Writing her story, she did a great job of putting herself back in that scene and making us readers feel like we were with her on the roller coaster of ups and downs and twists and turns that defined her life at that point. Everyone in the class enjoyed her story—I think it was about 1500 words. Sadly, Marcia only lived for about six months after our workshop, dying of pancreatic cancer. How did I hear about her passing? Her granddaughter called me. They wanted to use her personal essay in the back of the program they were printing for the memorial service. Think about that. The one story she had taken the time to write down, that one slice of life, would have the honor of being shared with all her friends and family. Her own words would live on, her own memories immortalized.
Next year my goal is to put together a collection of stories that my dad typed up when he was in his 80’s. He’d send copies of these short stories to my brother and to me in the mail (so I need to get them into a digital format). All are true stories from early in his life, one being from Christmas of 1942 when he was a naval aviator on active duty in WWII. Your stories, if not shared, will be lost forever and that would truly be a shame. (I only wish he’d written hundreds of them!)
Another legacy project you could do if you’re not ready to write your book is to create a cookbook.
Many traditions and memories are centered around food—a cookbook is a great way to preserve and share those memories. When you add your personal story, whether just a few lines or several pages, each recipe takes on its own personality, something with history and meaning.
I encourage using stories and recipes to serve as a sort of memoir, just in cookbook form. No matter why you publish, cookbooks become keepsakes that will be used and enjoyed for a lifetime. Cookbooks have always been best sellers, and it seems their popularity is growing, some say because more people are cooking at home.
Whether you want to use a recipe’s back story to prompt you to write or you’d like to share one or more of your treasure trove of memories, do it. Don’t put It off. It’s the best gift to yourself and to others.
