Gift your Parents a Meaningful Project
When it comes to gift-giving, it's easy to fall back on the usual ideas—a restaurant gift card, a helpful gadget, a weekend getaway. While those are very thoughtful, they're all temporary. The meals are eaten, the gadgets are never used or eventually break, and the memories of the trip will eventually fade.
But there's one gift that becomes more valuable over time, one that your parents will treasure now and that your entire family will cherish for generations: a beautifully preserved record of their life story.
By recording your family's history, you will:
1. Show them their story matters.
Parents spend much of their lives putting others first. They raise children, care for aging relatives, build careers, and manage households—often without taking a moment to reflect on their own journey. By investing in a family history service, you're saying, "Your life matters. Your memories matter. You matter."
2. Capture their voice forever.
Memories fade, and family stories can shift in the retelling. But when your parents' stories are recorded in their own words, their personality, humour, and wisdom are preserved exactly as they are. Years from now, future generations will be able to hear the way they told that funny childhood story or how they described the moment when they first fell in love.
By recording and transcribing our interview sessions, I'm able to capture your parents' authentic personalities as they share their stories with me. When you ask your parents to write about their memories, much of their personality is lost in their search for the best word to use or the best way to write what they want to say. Not everyone is a writer, but almost everyone enjoys telling a good story.
3. Gift them a joyful, meaningful experience.
The process itself can be a gift. Sharing stories often sparks laughter, pride, and a flood of memories. My clients often rediscover forgotten moments or see their life in a new light when they have the chance to talk it through with someone who's truly listening.
I always schedule a couple of interview sessions, because from my experience, memories will often resurface after the interview session is over. Clients will usually want to revisit and update or add to stories they've already shared. The experience of "remembering" is one that truly brings them joy.
4. Strengthen your family's bonds.
A family history project isn't just about preserving the past — it's about deepening connections in the present. Working together to create the book shows profound love and respect, and it often opens the door to conversations that might never happen otherwise.
While you may think you already know all of your parents' stories, they take on a different significance when recorded in a family history book, particularly when they include photos that bring their stories to life.
5. Gift them something personal and one-of-a-kind.
You can't buy this on a store shelf. A family history book is uniquely theirs, filled with their words, their photos, and their perspective. It's a personal heirloom that grows in emotional value with every passing year.
If you're ready to surprise them with something truly unforgettable—whether for a milestone birthday, an anniversary, or to say thank you—I can help you capture their memories, photos, and personality in a beautifully crafted book they'll be proud to share. Together, we'll create a one-of-a-kind keepsake that your whole family will treasure for generations.