October 2026

Home / Blog / OCTOBER | The Little Things The Little Things We Never Want to Forget Every life holds lessons, memories and moments worth preserving. OCtober | The Little Things Have you ever caught yourself thinking about a moment from your childhood that youhaven’t thought about in years?Perhaps it’s the smell of something cooking in your mother’s kitchen. The sound of yourfather coming home from work. An afternoon spent playing with friends on your street. Afamily gathering where everyone seemed to be talking at once.Maybe it’s a favourite teacher who believed in you, a neighbour who always looked out foryour family, or a simple tradition that made every holiday feel special.There’s a good chance that, at the time, you never imagined these moments wouldbecome treasured memories.They were simply part of life.Yet, years later, those are often the memories that bring us back to the people, places, andexperiences that helped shape us. Not Every Story Has to Be Extraordinary When I talk to people about capturing their life stories, I often hear a familiar response.“I haven’t done anything particularly interesting. I’ve just lived my life.”I understand why people feel that way. We tend to measure the importance of our livesagainst big milestones: careers, accomplishments, travel, awards, and major life events.But I’ve come to believe that some of the most meaningful parts of our stories are found inthe moments we might otherwise overlook.It’s the family joke that never gets old.The Sunday dinners that brought everyone together.The sacrifices our parents made that we didn’t fully appreciate until we became parentsourselves. The friendships that carried us through difficult times.The small acts of kindness that stayed with us long after the person who offered them hadforgotten.These experiences may never make the headlines, but they help tell the story of who weare.And often, they’re the very details our families would love to know.Memories Have a Way of Connecting UsOne of the things I love most about facilitating life story workshops is watching whathappens when people begin sharing their memories.Someone describes growing up in a small town. Another remembers a similar childhood.One person talks about raising a family during challenging economic times. Someone elserecalls the sacrifices their parents made to give their children opportunities they never hadthemselves.Before long, the room is filled with recognition, laughter, questions, and conversation.We discover that although our lives have taken different paths, many of our experiencesare remarkably familiar.We have loved and lost. We’ve celebrated successes and navigated disappointments.We’ve made mistakes, learned lessons, changed direction, and carried on.And through these shared experiences, connections form.Sometimes, we even discover something new about ourselves.A memory we once dismissed as unimportant suddenly takes on a different meaning whenwe see how it influenced the person we became.That is one of the gifts of reflecting on our lives. It allows us to appreciate not only whathappened, but also how those experiences shaped us. The Stories Behind the TraditionsOctober also brings Thanksgiving to mind, a time when many families gather around atable to share a meal and enjoy one another’s company.For some, the traditions are decades old. For others, new traditions are being created withchildren and grandchildren.But how often do we stop to ask about the stories behind them?Who started the family tradition everyone looks forward to?Where did that favourite recipe come from?What was Thanksgiving like when your parents were young?What memories do your grandparents carry of family gatherings from their childhood?The answers might surprise you.Perhaps a recipe came from a grandmother who brought it with her when she immigratedto Canada. Maybe a family tradition began during a difficult period when everyone neededa reason to come together. Perhaps an old photograph reveals relatives, places, andstories that younger generations have never heard.These details give our family history depth and meaning.They turn traditions into something more than activities we repeat each year. They help usunderstand where we came from and the people who helped shape our lives.You Don’t Have to Write a Book to BeginAt Precious Words, I believe everyone has a story worth preserving.That doesn’t mean everyone needs to write a memoir or document every year of their life.Sometimes, the best place to begin is with a single memory.Write down a story about your childhood home.Describe a person who made a difference in your life. Record the story behind an old family photograph.Tell your children or grandchildren something about your younger years that they’ve neverheard before.You might be surprised by how one memory leads to another.And if you find yourself thinking that nobody would be interested, remember this: thethings that seem ordinary to you may be the very things your family treasures most.Your children may want to know what life was like before they were born. Yourgrandchildren may be curious about the music you listened to, the games you played, thework you did, or how you met the people who became so important to you.They may simply want to understand you a little better.You don’t have to have all the answers. You don’t have to remember every detail. And youcertainly don’t have to make your life sound extraordinary.You simply have to be willing to share it.A Little Time Today Can Mean So Much TomorrowAs the days grow shorter and we settle into autumn, I encourage you to make a little roomfor reflection.Look through an old photograph album. Call someone who remembers your early years.Ask a parent or grandparent about a memory you’ve never explored. Or take a few minutesto write down a story you’ve told a hundred times but never put on paper.These small steps can preserve something far more valuable than we sometimes realize.They preserve the voices, experiences, values, humour, and humanity of the people whocame before us.And they remind us that our own lives are made up of countless moments worthremembering.I feel incredibly fortunate that my journey has led me to Precious Words, where I can helppeople recognize the value of their experiences and share those stories with others. Every conversation reinforces something I believe deeply: our stories aren’t important onlybecause of what they tell us about