Should I Get A Video Memoir?

I have a letter. 8 pages, double-spaced. It’s written by my great-grandpa to my father. I have the original copy. Coffee stains and all. I would mortgage my house to keep that letter. I would give up my car. I would move to another city to keep it safe. Why?

It’s my family’s legacy. It’s my legacy. 

At Roots & Story, the biggest pushback we get about what we do is whether or not someone feels like they have an impactful story to tell. They compare their story to their cousin or sister or neighbor, and we often hear, “I just don’t think I have much of a story to share.”

Forgive my bluntness, but that’s not the point of a video memoir. The point is your children’s children’s children. When your granddaughter’s daughter asks, “Why am I like this?” Your granddaughter will say, “Because you’re just like my grandma. One of the most lovely people in the world.”  When your great-grandson is being interviewed for a remarkable business he has started, he will say, “I saw a video of my great-grandpa in a video once, and I could tell he had the same business mind that I now have. It’s our legacy.”

You don’t get a video memoir only so that you are remembered, but it’s so your descendants know where they came from.

Everyone has a story worth telling. Everyone. Whether they believe it or not. And your descendants will want to hear it. That’s why you should do a video memoir. Whether you do it through Roots & Story or at home on your phone, you should. Tell the stories. Let them know where they came from. Don’t hold anything back. Your family will be eternally grateful that you did.