It is time to investigate
where you have come from. You are going to gather memories from your
family's past. You
may use parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles,
etc. The only requirement is the
memories have to come from someone who
is at least 20 years older than yourself. Keep in mind, the memories you
uncover may be good memories, but as Jonas discovered they may also be bad
memories. Your relatives may share memories of their childhood, of their
parents, of trips they have taken or things they have seen. They may
share stories of love, or war; the possibilities really are endless.
But, regardless of what the memories are about or whether they are good or
bad, be sure to write them down or record them. Remember, your relatives
are passing their life on to you and it should be recorded.
Once you feel you have gathered enough information or memories it is time to begin creating your "Treasure Chest." You will need an old shoe box (or something of the same size) to "put" your memories in. Note, you will need enough items to fill your container, but if you have too many, you may have to eliminate some of them.
Your "Treasure Chest" should include:
-
AT LEAST 5 memories from your relatives, either written down or on tape (talk to at least 4 different relatives)
-
mementos to go along with these memories, such as personal items from them, or information and pictures about particular events in their memories
Note, the links at the bottom of this page will provide you with a few good websites containing information and pictures about particular events. Please do not feel that you are limited to these sites. There is also a link to Google so that you may search the web for other websites or events your relatives discuss.
Be sure that you can explain each item in your "Treasure Chest" clearly, including the different memories and the various mementos.