When to collect stories : Festive Season 3

Gift giving at this time of year is always a challenge. What do we give those who have what they need or want. How can you make yours and their Festive Season even more unique? Is it possible to give a gift so special that it can enhance the holidays for your family? My answer is YES!

Consider giving Familore. It is the quintessential treasure of your family's story. When they began, where you have been and where you all are today. The Holiday Season is fast approaching and without speaking a word members of your family are remembering. It may be the weather, the sights, the sounds, the buzz in the Mall, what ever it is we all have thoughts of earlier Christmases or Festive Seasons.

Your aunt could be remembring her first Christmas as a parent. Little brother is reminded of the first pair of skates he was given. Grandmother still remembers the smell the cookies and pies spread throughout the house. Dad worried over finding the right tree and Mom was making sure the presents were under the tree before the children got up.

Encourage the recounting of your family's stories. They all have their images, their memories and these pulled together and shared become your Familore.

Begin this year. Start with a few stories, a few remembrances and soon you will discover the treasure that is Familore. Call a member of your family and begin to collect their stories. You can record these in many ways. Audio, video, even typed up in Word with a seasonal image watermark will help you capture the story. You can later add these to a CD and distribute copies to family members. Every year you can add to it. Old photos, maps, charts, children's drawings and cards can now be collected as never before.

Be the teller,

When to collect stories: Festive Season 2

Collecting Familore can be an adventure. Every family has its own way of doing things. The way they share their memories, the times at which they tell these memories. Styles may vary but the sharing most often takes place in a time of celebration, a time when members of the family, friends come together.

If you were to select a time for collecting, the Festive Season would be a wonderful choice. It has a unifying thread running through it. Family members and friends make a special effort to be together. Time itself becomes more fluid and we give ourselves permission to relish in each others company.

Remembrances, memories, shared experiences become the reason for being together. The cost is minimal and it may enhance your holidays in ways you cannot imagine.

Whether you invite family and friends to your place or you go to theirs, you can be the collector. There is a magical atmosphere attached to the holiday season. We feel a connection to our past that often is forgotten the rest of the year. The coming ofthe New Year looms heavy on our conciousness. Hopes, dreams, fears and joys remain closer to the surface. Make space in your activities to encourage the telling. Remember to value the stories shared, they are pieces of the puzzle that is your Familore.

Be the teller,