My grandmother was born in 1906 and passed away in 1993. Needless to say, my opportunities to visit with her were taken away from me many years ago. Imagine my delight when I found an oral history she had shared with my cousin when she was 82 years old. In 1988 she shared her fondest childhood memories as well as what she did for fun as a teenager. Times have certainly changed! 

She discussed her courtship with my grandfather as well, and what their early years of marriage were like.  She shared the differences between her early years and the later years of her life. I felt like for a few moments I had her in my living room talking with her. I felt so fortunate that someone had taken the time to record her thoughts and feelings.

It made me lonesome for others in my family who have passed on, wishing that I had some record of their thoughts and feelings. 

And then it hit me, we all have access to phones today, and with very little effort we can record our conversations with an aging parent or an aging grandparent and secure that conversation for later generations to enjoy. The thoughts and feelings of our loved ones today can be shared with family and loved ones in the future with relative ease.

Once we have a recording, the “FamilySearch” website offers us the opportunity to save it with just a few simple clicks of the mouse. Once it’s attached in FamilySearch, it is available to bring joy and comfort to families for years to come.

Let’s not wait until it’s too late to record thoughts and stories from those we love. Let’s take the opportunity we have to sit with someone we love and record something. When my cousin sat down with my grandmother many years ago, neither he nor my grandmother could have possibly known the joy their conversation would bring me 36 years later.

The things we do today may bring joy to our posterity years down the road. The one thing for certain though is that if we don’t do anything, once the opportunity passes, it is gone forever. I hope none of us will pass on the opportunities we have today to record a message from someone we love.

Let’s all take a moment and share a conversation with an aging parent or grandparent. I can promise you that you’ll be glad you did, and 30 years from now, there may be others that are glad you did as well.

– Doug Nielsen, Director, Granite FamilySearch Center