Table of Contents
Memories of Me: A Complete Guide to Telling and Sharing the Stories of Your Life
Introduction
Part One: Getting Started
xxxxxBringing the Treasure Chest to Life
xxxxxRecording Your Memories: Choose Your Medium Well
xxxxxWhen to Write
xxxxxBrainstorm-a-Coming
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: Brainstorming Exercise
xxxxxOutlining—To Be or Not to Be
xxxxxKeep Your Dates
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: Establishing a Timeline of Events
xxxxxxxxxxSample Worksheet: Establishing a Timeline
xxxxxxxxxx“Half Full” Sample Story with Time References
xxxxxVisual Aids: Enhancing the Readability of your Writing
xxxxxxxxxx“A Day in Africa” Sample Story Without Illustrations
xxxxxxxxxx“A Day in Africa” Sample Story With Illustrations
xxxxxTickling Your Memories
xxxxxTruth and Accuracy
xxxxxMoments versus the Momentous
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: Vivid Moments I Remember
xxxxxxxxxxMy Turn: Fleeting, Enduring Memory
xxxxxPutting Memories to Paper
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: Word Bank Exercise
Part Two: Idea Bank—Keeping Track of Ideas
xxxxx“Things I Want to Remember”—Leaving Snapshots from your Past
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: Brainstorming about Things I Want to Remember
xxxxxxxxxxMy Turn: Things I Want to Remember about Hazel
xxxxxEasy Snapshots in Time
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: Compiling an Annual Letter
xxxxxxxxxxMy Turn: Christmas 2004
xxxxxReflections on a Dear Friend
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: Reflections on a Dear Friend
xxxxxxxxxxMy Turn: Laura of Laurens
xxxxxWriting about Kids
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: A Taste of the Growing Up Years
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: Brainstorming about Your Child’s Antics
xxxxxxxxxxMy Turn: Scientific Method to his Madness?
xxxxxTraveling Down Memory Lane: “Come with Me Back to My Childhood Home”
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: Brainstorming about a Childhood Home
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: Word Bank Exercise for Your Childhood Home
xxxxxxxxxxWriting Guide for “Come with Me to my Childhood Home”
xxxxxxxxxxMy Turn: Come With Me Back to my Childhood Home
xxxxxMemories of Grandparents
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: Memories about my Grandparent
xxxxxxxxxxMy Turn: My Grandpa Wilkinson
xxxxxFamily Lore
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet Brainstorming for Stories of Family Lore
xxxxxxxxxxMy Turn: When Daddy Was a Little Girl
xxxxxFamily Heirlooms
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: Identifying Family Heirlooms
xxxxxxxxxxMy Turn: The Little Table
xxxxxFamily Traditions and Recipes
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: Brainstorming for Family Traditions and Recipes
xxxxxxxxxxMy Turn: Frozen Treats for the Frozen
xxxxxAnimal Stories
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: Brainstorming for Animal Stories
xxxxxxxxxxMy Turn: Paper Route Pogo
xxxxxLessons Learned
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: Idea Bank for Lessons Learned
xxxxxxxxxxMy Turn: BFF’s
xxxxxSchool Days
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: Idea Bank for School Memories
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: School Days Memories in a Word
xxxxxxxxxxMy Turn: The Test I Missed
xxxxxEveryday Questions
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: Idea Bank for Everyday Questions
xxxxxxxxxxMy Turn: Does God have Three Feet and Why Can’t He Keep His Shoes Tied?
xxxxxRecalling Other Childhood Memories
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: Brainstorming for Other Childhood Memories
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: Idea Bank for Sensory Triggers
xxxxxxxxxxMy Turn: Not-so-Lazy Summer Days
xxxxxSoliciting Material from Relatives
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: Questions for Relatives
xxxxxxxxxxMy Turn: ID-ed
xxxxxShare with Me My Sorrow and I’ll Share with You My Joy
xxxxxxxxxxWriting Exercise: “My Life as a River”
xxxxxxxxxxMy Turn: Like the Columns of Old Main
xxxxxConversations from the Past
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: Brainstorming Conversations
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: Capturing Past Conversations Exercise
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: Conversations You Wish You’d Had Exercise
xxxxxxxxxxMy Turn: Conversation in the Car
xxxxxThe Good and the Bad—OK; What about the Ugly?
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: Writing about Difficult Times
xxxxxxxxxxMy Turn: Grandma and Me
xxxxxOther Writings
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: Idea Bank for Other Writings
xxxxxxxxxxMy Turn: Rosemary’s Legacy
Part Three: The Finer Points
xxxxxLanguage—Gatekeeper for Place and Time
xxxxxxxxxxWord List: Colloquial and Idiomatic Words and Expressions
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: Preserving Language Writing Exercise
xxxxxxxxxxMy Turn: God Bless America!
xxxxxVoice—Being Yourself on Paper
xxxxxxxxxxWriting Exercise: Finding Your Voice
xxxxxxxxxxSomeone Else’s Turn: Excerpt from The Dog and the Trip to South Carolina
xxxxxHumor is Always Almost Always Welcome
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: Identifying Humor
xxxxxxxxxxMy Turn: Christmas Eve Debacle
xxxxxEndings
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: Editing Your Endings
xxxxxxxxxxMy Turn: “No Comprendo”
Part Four: Deeper Reflections
xxxxxLetters to Children
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: Letters to Children
xxxxxxxxxxMy Turn: Mother to Daughter
xxxxxRegrets and Premonitions
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: Identifying Regrets
xxxxxxxxxxMy Turn: Premonition or Not
xxxxxPrayers and Blessings
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: Idea Bank for Prayers
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: Writing Blessings for Loved Ones
xxxxxxxxxxMy Turn: Prayers for a Young Man’s Back
xxxxxOther Reflections
xxxxxxxxxxWorksheet: Keep Reflecting
Part Five: Final Considerations
xxxxxWhen to Stop
xxxxxThe Big Reveal
End Matter:
xxxxxRecommended Resources
xxxxxIndex of Worksheets
xxxxxEndnotes
xxxxxBibliography
