50+ Lifestyles

If You Don’t Tell Your Story, Who Will?

By Karen McCoy
Marketing Director
Ridgecrest Village

Ridgecrest resident, Darrell Lietz has been facilitating classes “Celebrating Your Life” at Ridgecrest for several months. It has turned out to be a most rewarding experience for the participants. They have recalled some of their fondest memories and put them to paper. Darrell says “it is not the same as writing your memoirs; the most meaningful gifts we leave our loved ones come from the heart. Writing your Life Reflection Stories is both a responsibility and a blessing that should not be put off.” By writing short stories of your life you can share life lessons and nuggets of wisdom that you would like to pass on to your loved ones, your family will gain an appreciation of your life experiences, culture and history. You also get to the heart of what is most important to you; it gives you a purpose and direction as you reflect upon your past and present life. Sharing your stories can help shape a path for your family’s future generations as they find meaning and inspiration from your experiences.

The students of the class have enjoyed sharing their short snippets of their past. Some are important family history that they want passed on. Some are funny stories that help their loved ones remember the sense of humor and joy that they got out of life. Some are reminders to the family of special times they shared together. Some leave their values in story form for future generations. And some help the students realize things about themselves that they had never thought about. One of our residents, Viv says “Darrell’s class has been more than a writing class; in fact none of us thought we could write anything. He is a fantastic teacher who is able to share a variety of ways to get you thinking about life experiences which have long been forgotten. He does this in a relaxed and nonthreatening way. Participants are encouraged to share their writings, but sharing is not required. The interaction has taught us all to write in ways we never thought possible.”

Stories are how we convey the wisdom, life lessons and inspiration we gained from living our lives to the next generation. The benefits the participants receive are a greater sense of purpose and direction for the rest of their life. Writing stories is the best way to make sense of the life we have lived, by listening to your own stories you learn from them. Just the act of putting it on paper turns it from a memory to a tangible connection to your past. Sorting out the memories can be done as casual and informal as writing a letter to a friend or your grandchildren. All that matters is that it reflects YOU. It tells, or shows, who YOU are and what YOU’VE experienced, your thoughts, how you felt and what you saw. Writing snippets can help you put your life in a chronological order or it can be woven into a meandering narrative of your life. You choose what to include and how to include it. There’s no right or wrong way. You can have a collection of stories and snippets of thought-whether they are whimsical, heart-wrenching, reflective, entertaining- they are the threads which weave the ongoing tapestry of your life. You can share stories of importance to the history of your family making sure your loved ones know where they came from.

Today, more than ever, people are recording their personal and family histories. Maybe it’s a desire for simpler times and stronger family ties, no matter your reasons for sharing; this is a personal journey that needs to be shared. Your story is a story no one else has, share it.

The class does not require that you put your stories into sequence, there are no rules, just an opportunity to have Darrell guide your thoughts to a state of mind that allows you to remember and put it down on paper. Darrell is a retired teacher that enjoys guiding his participants into a thoughtful, fulfilling experience. Below are a few thoughts from our residents that are taking the class from Darrell.

Roger says: “Darrell is stimulating our imaginations to write our own stories.”

John says: “I have learned that emotions trigger the memories of our experiences in life. The friendly atmosphere at Ridgecrest Village promotes those emotions.”

Ava says: “The Life Reflection group motivates and inspires you to write on paper your life experiences so you can share with your family now and in the future, giving them some incite into what life was like in your past and the “old days.” If you don’t do it who will? And they will be lost forever. “

Sue says: “At Ridgecrest, it is often possible to tap the talents of residents who are willing to share their lifelong knowledge and experience with their fellow residents. For the last several months Darrell Lietz, former Coordinator of English and Director of Instruction for the Davenport Schools, has led a class in writing Celebration of Life stories. A group of interested pupils have gathered each week to learn, write and share their stories with each other.”

Won’t you join us to tell your story? Stories live on for forever, this is your opportunity to tell your story to your loved ones. Darrell is now offering this class to the outside community to help you write your Life Reflection story. You can join him in a self-paced, 6 week journey. The classes are 1 ½ hours long and held at Ridgecrest Village. Class size is limited to 20 people, so sign up ASAP. His first class begins Friday, March 17th, 2017 at 1 p.m. at Ridgecrest Village. Class members will need to purchase a Life Reflection workbook for $12. The workbook contains many suggestions and practice for sharing individual experiences of life and wisdom.