Editor’s Note: This article by David Castleton was originally published in on GraniteFHC.com and is used with the author’s permission.

Last year I attended a class at the Sandy Granite Family History Center regarding using social media to assist with family history. The instructor shared a story about a woman whose mother died when she was quite young. She didn’t remember much about her mother and each mother’s day, as others would talk about their moms, she longed to know more. One year she posted on Facebook her desire to know more about her mother and invited all who knew her to share some of their memories about her mom. She received dozens of replies. It ended up being the best Mother’s Day ever for her.

Recently I began writing a history of my mom. I wish I would have started years ago because there is not much that she remembers now.  There are parts of her life that were meaningful to her but of which I have little personal knowledge. One of those meaningful experiences was when she went to work as a receptionist for a law firm later in life, after raising eight children.  I decided to reach out to some of the people that worked at the same firm and ask them if they would share their thoughts about her. I could not believe the quick response and the detailed stories I received. Some just called and shared over the phone what they remembered. Others wrote down their thoughts. I can’t begin to explain the joy I felt as I came to understand my mom better and recognize the many lives she had touched.

The stories and thoughts shared by my mom’s co-workers have greatly enhanced the history I am writing. But the story does not end there. I decided to share with my mom what others had written about her. Because her eyesight has failed her, I read them to her. What a choice experience it was for me to witness her joy as she was reminded of this special time in her life and people she had touched. Again, family history to the rescue! Family history truly brings a choice spirit into our lives, helps us connect with our family on both sides of the veil, and helps us learn valuable lessons from those who have gone before.

Dave Castleton – Director, Granite Family History Center