for our kids

I have this great project.

I'm going to create a family history for our kids. (No kids yet.)

I want stories from each side of the family, so I'll talk to 5 people on each side, and ask each of them to get stories from 5 people. Now, what do the stories look like? They are probably not more than a couple of pages, and possibly as short as a paragraph. What is the focus of the memoir? Stories of fun, love, and connectedness. Doesn't mean it has to be all rosy. Should be meaningful. I'd like to get as many generations involved as possible. Go from past to present, telling stories of the kids' relatives. I'm really excited! When I collect them, I'll get them turned into a book, and a website. I'm also planning a family reunion, where we can take pictures and have adventures, making new memories to add to the website.

Doing some research, I found these characteristics of a memoir:
There is a clear unifying theme that focuses the details on the subject's life. Details in the memoir provide background and insight on the subject's life. The memoir is genuine and vivid. The project balances issues of privacy and love with the details to present an empathetic view of the subject. The project includes powerful aspects -- words, sentences, images, and so forth. The elements of the memoir are strong and memorable.

I'll ask for specific episodes, so that the book and website will become a collection of vignettes. It seems a bit odd to write a memoir of a family that is not yet four years old. And that's what I want to do. I want to collect the stories that are the background to this family. So that our kids will know where they come from.