What's your story?

Recently I received an email from my cousin, asking if she could have a copy of the book I wrote about our mother's childhood in North Dakota. "My mom's memory is fading," she said. "It would be great to read the story to her and bring back those good times. And I would like to know about her past, as well."

I began interviewing my mother three years ago- she was 77 and beginning to forget details in present time. I realized that gathering stories from her past was becoming urgent- particularly if I wanted her input. The clock was ticking.

I am not efficient at shorthand but I did my best, calling her on the phone every week and scratching a new tale or philosophical perspective onto my yellow pad. Patterns began to emerge as we talked. She looked forward to our conversations and began to recall more and even think of what she would tell me in the days before my call.

One story seemed to hold more enthusiasm than the others- the summer she and her twin picked the most potatoes in the county. Or so she believed. The truth of it didnt' really matter. What mattered was that she and her sister had impressed her stoic father that summer. This became the focus of my efforts. I narrowed the focus of my story: it was the final day of picking season. She and her twin, competitive as always, worked together that day to receive this compliment that would stick with her into her 80s.

But I wanted to weave together other stories she had shared that described life with four brothers overseas fighting the Germans and the Japanese; life with a devout Norwegian Lutheran mother; life as a jealous sister and a moony eyed teen. I added conversations between my mom and her twin and between them and the ladies of their small town to bring out these extra bits of information.

It worked better than expected. I created the book at my website, http://www.storytellersrus.com choosing the 12x12" book. I wanted to make the biggest book I could for my mother to hold. I am not an illustrator and I didn't have photos of potato pickers from that time, so I found archived photos online and tweaked them to illustrate what I needed.

The result was a book that astonished my mother and pleased me. My brother purchased his own copy and my sister also has one on order. While this story won't win any awards, it serves its purpose. When Mom opened it on the occasion of her 80th birthday in December, she was surrounded by all her grandchildren. "I didn't know you ever picked potatoes, Grandma!" they said. "Tell us about it!"

And more stories from the past began to flow from one generation to another. It was more than I could have ever imagined or asked to occur in that moment.

I am in the process of copying this book for my cousin. And of encouraging everyone who has a story to tell, to begin it now.