Are you looking for a special and unique birthday gift for your mom or dad who already has “everything”? In a lifetime filled with so many things, sometimes it’s nice to receive a gift that has deeper meaning and significance. Whether they admit it or not, a lot of people when they get older think about what their lives have meant. Especially after they retire, our parents may think about what they’ve accomplished in their life and what they will leave behind. They want to know that their lives have mattered. They want to know that they’ll be remembered after they’re gone and that they won’t be forgotten.

As our parents age, they may be wondering how they will be remembered and what will be remembered. They may wonder where all the stories of their lives will go-their earliest memories, the story of their first car, or what they remember about the day their children were born. Not to mention stories of their parents and grandparents and other family members who are no longer living, as well as memories of special times and special places in their own lives. Will their stories be preserved or will they be lost? It isn’t their “things” that they hope will be remembered most, but their stories, their passions.

The greatest gift you can give your mom or dad is the knowledge that they will be remembered and that this information will not only be passed along, but will have the potential to enrich the lives of their grandchildren, great-grandchildren and other descendants.

But how do they go about collecting and documenting these memories? It may help to think in terms of leaving behind a type of family time capsule. Not something they bury in the ground, but a collection of memories that they pass down to their family and use to create a powerful and meaningful legacy. Genealogy records are nice, but they don’t bring a family tree to life with personalities and stories. For that, you need the next generation of family tree-tools that can create a more in-depth family history.

This next generation of family tree might include tools such as a genogram. A genogram is a psychological family tree that looks at three to five generations of family members that your parents spent time with and heard stories about. Originally used by family therapists, social workers and doctors, a genogram can also be adapted quite successfully for ordinary families. It identifies family patterns, strengths, , themes, secrets and roles that family members may still hold today, such as family clown, the hero, the rescuer, and the family peacemaker, to name a few. It can even include birth order characteristics of siblings.

A family chronology might also be included in this family time capsule, one that specifically documents important family stories. A life review can be especially meaningful, as well. These are organized questions that your mom or dad answers that talk about what they’ve learned about life and how they view the life they’ve led. These answers can be written or documented on audio or video. This kind of information can be incredibly interesting and helpful to future generations. And don’t forget the power of a letter. Letters to descendents can help pass down information of how people would like to be remembered and what they hope and wish for those family members that follow.

The gift of legacy is one of the most memorable gifts your mom or dad could receive on their birthday, especially if their families have been an important touchstone in their lives. While standard gifts (flowers and ties anyone?) can be appreciated short-term and eventually forgotten, giving a parent the gift of being remembered and the knowledge that their lives have mattered will be a priceless gift that they and their descendants will never forget.

Author Bio: Susan Gabriel, M.Ed, created the Family Time Capsule, a unique multimedia program which provides your parents & other honored elder family members, as well as the family historians and storytellers in your family, a comprehensive & easy way to build their legacy. Visit Your Family Time Capsule

Category: Family Concerns
Keywords: family tree, family history, genealogy, legacy, birthday gifts