“Perhaps this is an exercise of self-affirmation, that one’s existence has been worthwhile and possibly even memorable,” she wrote. “Or does it have a higher purpose, to fill in gaps for future generations who, one hopes, might care and even enjoy it? Then again, maybe it is only a desire to explain to one’s children just why one is the way one is. It might even be interesting for them to identify characteristics in themselves they may have inherited!”
“Why You Should Write a Memoir—Even if Nobody Will Read It” is a wonderful article written by Lisa Ward that was recently published in the Wall Street Journal. She interviewed several individuals in their 80s about their experience telling their story. Find out why they decided to do it and how it impacted them!