“Remember me as you pass by. As you are now so once was I. As I am now so you shall be. Prepare for death and follow me.” ⏤Common colonial New England epitaph

A hundred years from now, a great-great-niece or nephew, or other descendant may be curious to know more about you⏤who you were, what you valued, what the major decisions and turning points of your life were, and what advice you would give others if you had the chance. Consider writing a short autobiography, just a few pages, to answer these questions for those relatives of yours you won’t ever meet in person, the ones generations from now who look back and wonder about the people who came before them, just like you do. 

Sure, they will probably be able to see your social media and read your obituary, but think of this as more like a personal letter to future family, not posts for public consumption. This goes beyond photos of what you cook for dinner or where you took your yearly vacation. Think of this as letters from the grave. Sound grim? Look at it from another angle entirely, and it can be a beautiful gesture and way to speak to and influence others from beyond the beyond. 

You can organize your life story several different ways, but a good place to start is to think about your life as a series of turning points. Much like a decision tree, life unfolds  as choices⏤big and small⏤that alter the direction of everything that follows. Some decisions change the trajectory entirely, and others are only a small nudge in a slightly new direction. Some decisions you make for yourself, and others are completely out of your control. One fact is certain, though: Every single life is a dramatic story filled with twists and turns, and difficult decisions, and heartbreak and regret, and happiness and elation, and lessons learned. Consider passing some of this story, and some of these lessons, down to a future generation. Who knows? Maybe it will help someone.

Here are some questions you can think about as you write your story:

  • How did you come to be? (Who are your parents? How did they meet? When or why did they have you?)
  • What sort of family were you born into? Were other family members similar to you or different than you?
  • What major turning points/decisions did you face in life and how did you handle them and why?
  • Are there any major themes running through your life?
  • Based on your own experience, what advice would you give to your younger self?

Copyright 2023 Kesel Wilson (entirely, 100% human-created)

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