Let me ask you something. Who has the video of your last family reunion?
I'll bet somebody has it. Your sister might have the video of everybody coming through the door. Your cousin has your uncle dancing when he thought nobody was looking. And somebody, if we're lucky, recorded your aunt explaining why she still makes the potato salad the way your grandmother taught her.
Now ask yourself how many people in the family have seen all three.
Life is funny that way. We can spend a whole day together and go home with completely different memories of it. The person who cooked all morning remembers who came early to help. The kids remember who cheated at cards. And the cousin who couldn't get off work gets a picture of everybody standing in front of the house and a text that says, "We missed you."
I've sent that text. And I know how easy it is to mean every word and still forget to call and tell them what happened.
Give everybody a piece of the story
That's one of the reasons I built LifeScape. I wanted a place where the people who were there could put their pieces together, and the people who couldn't make it could see what the day felt like.
Here's how I picture it. Your sister starts the reunion story. Your cousin adds the clip of your uncle dancing. You dig up a picture from the last reunion, back when the kids were still short enough to stand in the front row. And your aunt records herself telling that potato salad story. Somebody in the family takes the lead as the StoryKeeper and pulls those pieces into a 90-second family documentary we call a Momentary.
The nice thing is, nobody has to carry the whole story. One person can bring a picture. Another can tell you why it matters. And your family decides who gets to see what you put together.
Give yourself a reason to come back
There's always going to be another birthday. Somebody's going to graduate. A new baby is going to do something that makes everybody reach for their phone at the same time. And next Thanksgiving, somebody's going to tell the same story they told this Thanksgiving. If they tell it a little differently, well, that's part of the fun too.
There are stories worth starting on an ordinary Tuesday. Sit down with your dad and ask him what he did with his first paycheck. Ask your grandmother how she met your grandfather. Let her talk long enough to get to the part she usually skips. One day your kids might play it back just to hear how she says his name.
That's why I wanted the LifeScape Family Plan to cover more than one person or one occasion. For $11.99 a month, up to six adults in your family, including the StoryKeeper, share one plan, and your kids come along at no extra cost. You get all ten Better stories to work with, from a baby's first steps to Grandma telling her story in her own words. With all six spots filled, that's about two dollars a person each month.
And everybody else at the reunion? They can add their photos, videos and voices for free. It starts free, too.
You can start with the reunion if that's what's coming up. Me? I'd start by calling the person who knows why Grandma made the potato salad that way.