When we think of genealogy, we often picture sprawling family trees, census records, and birth dates. But true family history is so much richer than that. It is found in the faded photographs, the quirky keepsakes, and the hilarious, heartwarming, and sometimes heartbreaking stories that are passed down from generation to generation.
In a recent episode of The Legacy Tree Podcast, host Mandy sat down with two incredible guests who are experts at capturing these very things: Heather Nickerson, Founder and CEO of Artifcts.com, and Luke, a specialist from MemoirGhostwriting.com.
Together, they discussed the “real side” of family history and shared invaluable tips on how to start preserving your legacy before those stories are lost to time.
Every Object Has a Story
Have you ever inherited a box of your grandparents' things and wondered, “What on earth is this?” Heather’s company, Artifcts, was built on the premise that family history shouldn't just be about the items we pass down, but the stories attached to them. Without the context, a cherished heirloom can easily become a confusing piece of clutter.
To illustrate this, Heather shared a phenomenal story about a family who uncovered an 8-foot-long boa constrictor snake skin while cleaning out their matriarch's home. Without context, it was just a bizarre item destined for the trash bag. But because the grandmother’s story had been preserved, the family knew that she and her friends had encountered the snake while on a safari in Kathmandu decades ago!
The takeaway? Don't just leave your kids a box of stuff. Leave them the “who, what, when, where, and why” behind it. Whether it's an old cocktail party anecdote or the history of a World War II discharge paper, these stories give objects their true value.
Penning the Family Memoir
Writing an entire life story sounds daunting, which is exactly why Luke and his team at Memoir Ghostwriting step in to help families. Luke’s philosophy is simple but powerful: Aim for 97%. You don't need to capture a “perfect” 100% of a family's history, because perfection is the enemy of progress. Instead, aim to get the most comprehensive, lasting version of your family’s story written down so that 200 years from now, your descendants will know exactly what made their ancestors tick.
Luke's “Top 3” Strategy for Getting Started
If you are staring at a house full of memories and feeling completely overwhelmed, Luke recommends focusing on the items that are nearest and dearest to your loved one. If you walk into someone's home, look for:
What is displayed behind them: (Like the background of their video calls).
What is sitting on their desk: The items they interact with daily.
What is on their nightstand: The things they keep closest to them while they sleep.
If you start by documenting the stories behind just those three locations, you will have already captured about 70% of what is truly important to them!
3 Actionable Steps to Preserve Your Legacy Today
If you want to be a “good ancestor,” you don't need to write a bestselling novel today. You just need to take the first step. Here is what the experts recommend:
Outline, Outline, Outline: If you are writing down memories, do not just start writing aimlessly. Create an outline first. Figure out what you want to say before you say it to save yourself hours of frustration.
Embrace the Power of Audio: Not a writer? No problem. Use the voice memo app on your phone to record your parents or grandparents telling their stories. A recorded voice is an incredibly powerful artifact all on its own.
Back It Up (x3): If you are digitizing photos or records, follow the “Rule of Three.” Back your data up in three different locations (like a physical hard drive, the cloud, and a flash drive) so a single technical glitch or natural disaster doesn't wipe out your family history.
The Bottom Line
No family’s story is a perfectly linear, picture-perfect progression. Life is rocky, messy, and complicated—and that is exactly what makes it beautiful. Don't wait until you have all the answers to start documenting your family's journey. Pick up a pen, press record on your phone, or snap a picture of that weird family heirloom today.
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