What You Need to Know About Saving Memories
Written by: Melanie Gardner
Building Your Memory-Keeping Toolkit: Best Ways to Save Your Memories
Last week, I had a wonderful visit with my cousin. In college, we were lucky enough to be roommates! We reminisced about odd suitors, parties we threw, and what our mutual friends were doing these days. What really struck me about this day of connection was how many shared memories we had that we remembered in such different ways. And isn’t it incredible how our memories can be so poignant but also SO fleeting!
We’ve got to do something to save those most important and formative memories before they flee from our brains.
Why memories matter
Memories are something each of us experiences with our senses. We see, hear, smell, taste, or touch something, and these formative experiences are often the key to who a person becomes. Memories can help us
- Learn from past mistakes
- Foster a desire to recreate past successes
- Have an opportunity to relive precious past experiences
- Create paths and opportunities for change
The sad truth
Memories fade without preservation. Even your best-laid-brain-plans to simply remember those moments lose value, impact, and effectiveness when not captured and saved appropriately.
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Where do you start?
To make it easy, simple, and even fun, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite tools in this Saving Memories Toolbox.
Use Prompting Technology Tools
No need to reinvent the memory saving wheel. There are many apps and online tools ready for you to use. Prompts are one of the easiest ways to get started on your memory-keeping journey. Easily capture a life story or just gather random memories from your memory or a loved one’s.
Our favorite examples are:
- FamilySearch Memories App
- Storyworth
- FamilySearch 52 Stories
- The About Me Plan – Family Connections Experiment
- Qeepsake: https://memoriesapp.com
- Legacy Journal – Family Share: https://legacyjournal.app/
Games
Make a game of it. Try some of these games virtually or in person. Consider recording or making a movie of the whole event as people answer questions about their life.
Our favorite examples are:
- FCE Interview Game
- Dinner Conversations Game
- The Newlywed Game
- Roots & Branches
- 20 Questions
Notebooks, Journals, Calendars
Sometimes writing our memories is one of the best ways to draw out emotion and feelings. In writing things down, our memory recall is enhanced. Paper or digital versions of notes and calendars can be accessed the very moment you remember them.
- Make a chronological list
- Write or talk-to-text outstanding memories
- Give yourself a quick prompt for later
- All About Me Journal – Family Connections Experiment
Face-to-Face and Take Note
Ready to ask some questions to your relatives? Be sure to record or video. Getting together with your family and friends is a wonderful way to spark memories. Let the memories flow and take note!
- Reunions are an excellent time to capture family memories. Check out Family Connections Experiments, Modernized Family Reunion plan full of amazing resources for experiencing and capturing your reunion memories.
- FamilySearch Memories app: be sure to whip out your app to record the conversation or take notes as you ask questions and gather memories.
Don’t run the risk of memories being lost permanently; with that loss goes the lessons learned, the successes earned, and shared experiences. Make it easy on yourself by adding these memory keeping ideas to your toolbox!
