Marissa Stevens at the University of California discovered that ancient Egyptians used material objects to construct their social identities just as people do today. She studied how ancient Egyptians used funerary papyri to convey social status and personalities by examining social documents buried with the dead. Her conclusion is that similarly to us, Egyptians were also using objects to capture … Continue reading “Egyptian funerals were like today’s weddings”

Everyone’s life story is worth capturing in a special book. How do we get started? And how can we make this process enjoyable for ourselves and for the people we are preparing the book for? These questions are central in a recently published book of Dutch writer Daniëla Postma (Jouw levensverhaal hoort in een mooi boek thuis). This interesting book … Continue reading “A book over your book”

When telling your life story and getting it written down, you don’t have to follow a straight year-by-year account. Instead, it can be very helpful and enjoyable to create a timeline of your life based on the places you have lived. Begin with remembering your homes. Think about the house you grew up in, or the first house you owned. … Continue reading “The memories of our homes”

As we grow older, there may be a tendency to feel less relevant to the people around us. We tend to withdraw as a result, and this isolation can lead to a greater risk of depression. But here’s an idea that will help you stay in the game and it also helps your family better understand their own history. It’s … Continue reading “The health benefits of writing your life story”