Preserving life stories is more than a job to me, it's almost a sacred calling. Fourteen years ago I urged my father to write the story of his life, so that my sisters and I could have a more complete understanding of all that he had been through. For him this was too daunting a task, but he was willing to turn on a tape recorder and reminisce about his childhood, the war years and various other experiences. He told me he enjoyed the taping sessions quite a lot and that, once he got going, he was surprised at how much he could recall. Small details, things he hadn't thought of for decades. I then transcribed the tapes, did a bit of editing and added some photographs.

We made two dozen copies of the manuscript and passed them out to all the relatives. They were received with gratitude and joy all around. There was so much about our dad that my sisters and I hadn't known before; the telling of his story opened an important door for us, and we were able to get to know him more completely in the months that followed.

My father died unexpectedly soon thereafter, while most of his grandchildren were too young to have memories of him. But his stories live on, preserved in his own words, and told in his own inimitable style. The manuscript, which had previously been a treasured document, became much more than that, and we are forever grateful that he took the time to give us such a cherished gift.

I believe that everyone has a story to tell, and that accomplishing that task can be one of the most important things they ever do. I have worked with dozens of people who have chosen to document their life stories and, without exception, their families have been delighted with the results.

When a loved one dies, although it's possible for stories to be pieced together, they cannot be told in that person's own words. That's what's so precious about personal histories: They allow us to hear once again our father's or our mother's voice, and to pass those stories on to the young ones who will never have the opportunity to know them.