Last weekend, our family gathered with as many other relatives as could make it, and we all celebrated the life of my husband’s grandmother. It was our last grandparent to pass on, so extra bittersweet. She was ninety-four years old and had suffered from dementia the last almost ten. Her husband passed away back in 2014. It was a relief to know she was no longer stuck in her own head, but she’ll be missed by so many.

During the memorial service, almost all of her six grandchildren shared memories of her–mostly related to food she had made them. My husband also told about how she insisted on doing his laundry when he stayed with her, how she made sure he knew the family roots in a small town in Ohio, and how she shared her faith.

My father-in-law shared other stories, both during the service and over the weekend when it was just our family. And it made me think of the stories I learned from my grandmothers (some I even have written down). Even though I didn’t live through those times they told me about (like when my grandmother threw a song book at my grandpa because he wasn’t singing), they’re a part of my history. They helped shape who I am and how I picture the world.

While I love diving into fiction, and usually read at least a few minutes each day, diving into the real stories of life is even better. Because they really happened. And telling those stories to my children who either don’t remember their great-grandparents or never heard all the tales we’ve heard through the years keeps that history alive and lets the heritage continue through to the next generation.

Will my children ever know what it’s like to grow up tending chickens? Probably not. I really don’t want to go down that road, no matter how much I like eggs. But will they hear stories of their great-grandmas doing that? You bet. Will they know that certain recipes were passed down from those women who came before us? Definitely. Will it shape how they see those meals? I sure hope so.

And as I age, I hope to live up to the women who lived before me. Because I want my children and grandchildren to be able to get up my funeral and read Proverbs 31:10-31 and tell how it fits me to a T.

What about you? Got any fun stories in your family history? How are you passing those to the next generation?