What should go into the book for my great-grandchildren
I'm going to write a book that is not intended for publication. It will be for those not born yet, not even contemplated. I got the idea while listening to a TED Radio Hour podcast about leaving a mark.
I intend ultimately to get it printed on archival quality paper that will be a message to children not only not yet born, but not contemplated. Though my wife and I have five children between the two of us in a blended family, the next generation is not wide. Our oldest daughter and her husband have decided not to have children. Our oldest son died about five years ago without leaving any children. Our middle son has not yet married or had children, and it remains to be seen whether he will have any offspring. Our youngest daughter is profoundly disabled and will never bear children.
Only our middle daughter and her husband have children, two boys. There's no guarantee that either of them will have children. As I write this, they are only aged 9 and 5. But I've been moved to write down something about my parents and their parents, my late ex-wife, my wife and me, and all of our children, one of whom would be the grandmother of the intended audience.
I want to leave something that people I will likely never live to see will want to read about those who came before them, and I want to get it into a form that is likely to survive. Digital media will not leave a trace, and without something like this my great grandchildren will never be able to see the things that I can see about my parent, grandparents and great grandparents.
This list is the start of that project. I'm putting it in public as inspiration to others who likewise decide to leave a mark for later generations. I'm following the pattern I learned from @JamesAltucher to generate a list, then branch each item into its own list, etc., until I wind up with a book. (I will also learn for sure whether you can branch from a public list to make the child-list private, because from here forward most of the resulting lists will be too personal to put out in public.)
Though I will publish this list, I will likely come back to edit it and add to it.
1. How old my grandchildren are as I start writing.
That's simple, age 9 and 5. But I will also write some about what their father/uncle was like at this age.
2. Who were your great grandparents?
I want to mention my son-in-law's background too, but clarify that my intention is to focus on the branch running through their grandmother. So that will involve some memoir-type material about my late-ex-wife, my wife, and me.
3. Who were your great great grandparents?
Our parents.
4. Great aunt Amanda.
5. Great uncle Barry.
Our oldest son who died five years ago, months after my youngest grandchild was born.
6. Great uncle Zach.
7. Grandmother Cate.
8. Great aunt Hannah.
Our youngest daughter who is severely disabled.
9. Grandfather Nick.
10. Historical things.
Some of the significant developments we have seen first hand, which will be history as ancient to them as World War I and the Great Depression were to me.
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