You know how important it is to leave a financial legacy for your loved ones, making sure that your spouse, children and grandchildren are taken care of after you’re gone. But what about the other part of your legacy – the family history, childhood memories, values and life lessons that money can’t replace? Here are three ways to capture your non-financial legacy and pass it on to your loved ones, as well.
- Become Your Family’s Historian. Write down the stories your grandparents and parents told you when they were growing up. Create biographies for the family members you remember, but that your children may never have known. These stories create a sense of history and belonging for the younger members of your family, and they remind everyone who your family is and where you came from.
- Create a Family Website. Consider creating a website to be accessed only by family members. You can upload photos and share stories, or even start a family blog. This can help bond family members who are scattered across the country, or across the world. It’s also another way to preserve precious memories.
- Record Your Personal Story. Take some time record your own story – your childhood memories, the experiences that have made you who you are, and your hopes and dreams for your children or grandchildren. If you can do this on video, it will allow future generations to connect with you in a unique and special way.
And, while you’re taking the time to write down, record or upload all of this information, don’t ignore the power of telling your family stories to your children and grandchildren in person. Simply talking around the dining room table can be one of the most powerful ways to create a legacy that will live on in the hearts of those you love.
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