20 February 18: Family tales matter

Happy Tuesday, folks 🌸🌵💕

When I was a kid, I loved driving through rural mid Wales with my mum and listening to her regaling family tales. My particular favourite was about a relative who’d wear her beloved son’s shirts before he did to make sure they were properly aired. I remember thinking at the time that I’d never forget the leafy bend in the road where she told me that curious story but of course I have.

My dad – born and bred in Kent – has similar stories (like the time he hoisted a pair of knickers up a flagpole when he left school) that I hope won’t slip from my mind. It’s made me think how important it is to write down these funny, charming family tales so that this oral history doesn’t get lost and forgotten.

Our busy lives mean these aren’t a priority even though they’re often a part of the very fabric of who we are. Do you write these things down? What’s the best story you’ve ever been told about your family?

Martha, The Colour File x

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