Give the Gift of a Legacy This Holiday Season

As the year draws to a close, I find myself thinking less about fleeting material gifts, and more about lasting treasures—gifts that truly matter, legacies that endure not just for today but for generations to come.

My father was a diplomat in the U.S. Foreign Service. He and my mother asked for a “hardship post” for their first assignment. It brings chuckles to our bellies when they recount how the American government sent them to Hong Kong because, of course, they lived in relative luxury. Nothing hardship about it! (Side note: This is why I was born in Hong Kong and got the nickname “MeiMei,” which means “little sister” in Chinese, from my Mandarin speaking nanny and elder brother.)

My father’s father was a social worker. At the tail end of the Great Depression, he and my grandmother were finishing grad school in Chicago, suffering from the freezing cold and dining at soup kitchens. They got their first assignment: Hawaii! They were stationed in Hilo, back when it was still predominantly Hawaiian. They fell in love with the islands, declared, “We’re never leaving!”—and they never did. (Side note: This is why my husband and I live with our boys in Hawaii today.)

Seems like our family has an uncanny way of getting sent to beautiful places! But that’s not the real point of this newsletter. It’s this:

These family stories shape who I am. They are threads in the tapestry of my life, connecting me to generations past, and to my ancestors’ bravery, adventure, and love. And yet, these stories risk fading. Already they are being lost to time.

Do I wish my mother and father would write down their stories? Do I wish my grandparents had written theirs? Absolutely. 

Well, guess what?! My mom signed up for the Spring 2024 Cohort of Your Bestselling Book to finally begin putting some stories of her incredible journey down in writing: From Pasadena debutante to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. to helping create a national park in China that’s the size of Ireland. (But her story is a tale for another time!)

So, this holiday season, let’s encourage our elders to share their stories.

We all know the bittersweet reality: life is fleeting. Perhaps this holiday will be the last spent with a beloved elder, or maybe there’s a family story waiting to be told before it’s lost forever.

Now is the time.

Writing Tip of the Week: Collecting Memories

You can help your family members share the wisdom they’ve gained.

• Get set up with Apple Intelligence,a  Google Doc or Otter AI voice to text and hit record. Then encourage your loved ones to share their stories.
• Interview your loved ones on camera via Zoom. 
• Ask them insightful questions, acting like a documentary filmmaker. You might consider using ChatGPT or another AI to help you generate a list of questions.
• If they would rather write their stories themselves, encourage them to do that. Give them a journal or invite them to sit down at their computer and put some of their pivotal life moments down. Then hold them accountable. 

And if you want an extra nudge, or you simply don’t have time to take this task on yourself, we’re happy to support you! Legacy Memoirs are a meaningful way to capture the essence of your loved ones’ stories in a beautifully crafted, heirloom-quality book.

Here’s how it works:

• An expert ghostwriter from our team conducts a series of personal interviews, transforming your loved ones’ cherished memories into compelling stories.
• We create a polished manuscript bound into a 50-page published book, complete with 10 photos that bring each story to life.
• 20 copies are mailed directly to you and your family, preserving these memories for generations.
• We also share a personalized video keepsake for you to revisit again and again.

This holiday season, let’s give the gift that truly lasts.

Quote of the Week

Interview your parents while they are still alive. Keep asking questions while you record. You’ll learn amazing things. Or hire someone to make their story into an oral history, or documentary, or book. This will be a tremendous gift to them and to your family. 

• Kevin Kelly, Founder of Wired Magazine, 101 Additional Advices