November 12 - Family Stories Month

November is Family Stories Month

I could not find an official site for this observance, nor could I find who had created it. Regardless, I still think it is a fantastic idea, and one that I can really get geeked about. Additionally, the holidays are the best time to try to collect family stories, as you often see them more this time of year.

I am a huge history buff and I love to hear stories about my family. My grandparents are all gone and most of their siblings as well. While I still have my parents, I want to know as much about my family as possible. Recently, I've been creating my family tree on Ancestry, but I don't really get any stories this way, mostly facts.

There are many ways to collect your family's stories, but you need to focus on the best way to get the stories from your family. Some people will find that story telling comes naturally, but others you will need to prompt. My mother always says that she doesn't have any stories, or that she can't think of any. All I need to do is simply ask her a question or two, then sit back and listen as she talks and talks. I tease her about it and say, "I thought you didn't have any stories!" She has them, she just needs a prompt or two.

Prompts can be as simple as, "What was your childhood like" or more specific, like "How old were you when you got your first job?" This site has some great questions to ask your relatives, or even to answer yourself! (November is also National Life Writing Month.)

One year, my family wrote down memories on little slips of paper. We put them in a jar, and pull them out at holidays, or when we are all at home. They don't have to be holiday specific, just funny or warm little things you don't want to forget!

Enjoy Family Stories Month, and let me know if you have any good ones! I love to hear family stories, even if they aren't about my family!