Virginia came from two generations of strong, smart, savvy women. Growing up in Argentina, she was especially close to her mother and grandmother—and always thought she’d write their stories down “one day.” But as time passed, that day never seemed to come.
“For me, it wasn’t about family history research. It was about sitting down and getting the stories I knew on paper,” she reflected.
The Breakthrough: Two Pages a Week
A cold, dark winter turned out to be the perfect time to finally begin. She learned the Safekeeping Stories method of family story writing, which provided a focus and weekly limits for her writing each week. “The limits you gave to me were key. I only had a short amount of time to write each week, only two pages to fill, and a deadline. That discipline worked for me.”
“For me, it wasn’t about family history research. It was about sitting down and getting the stories I knew on paper.”
Week by week, one story at a time, she wrote about her grandmother, her mother, and her grandfather. “My final story was about 12 pages. I added a few more after the workshop. And it covered what I wanted to say.”
While visiting her children, she shared one of the stories— two pages about her grandfather, a charismatic businessman whose work took him from Argentina to Chile and Peru. He had died when her mother was young, but Virginia had heard just enough to bring him to life on the page. Telling it aloud took just a few minutes, and her children were fascinated. They asked her to tell them more.
The Payoff: A Written Family Story for Her Kids
Virginia took her family story and paired it with photos of her mom and grandmother to create a printed family storybook for her children and extended family. “I’m giving it to my daughter on her upcoming wedding day,” she told me.
I loved that! On the day her daughter begins a new chapter of her story, Virginia found a meaningful way to bring her grandmother and great-grandmother to her side.
Inspired to start your family story? Begin just like Virginia did, using our Safekeeping Stories worksheet. Jot down what you know about your parents in just a few minutes.
