New Yearʼs resolutions are just for the young, right? Not necessarily.

One is never too old to resolve at doing better in life and in taking positive steps toward improving our overall health.

Each New Year remains a new beginning that provides opportunities to start over and hopefully to achieve betterment in person and in life. It’s a time of putting the mistakes and bad memories in the past and moving on with new plans, hopes, dreams and desires. If nothing else, resolutions provide us with goals and purpose in our lives.

What will your resolutions for 2023 be? Perhaps, that means…

• Resolving to lose weight, eating more good food and less junk food, exercising more and becoming healthier in mind, spirit and body.
• Spoiling our grandchildren and great-grand-kiddos more often, and always cherishing our families and friends more.
• Renewing our annual resolve to respect, be kind to others and vow to love more and hate less.

Any new ones in the New Year? My new resolution is taking more time to share my life story with my family.

My family tree is now four generations of many cousins. My parents, grandparents and all the aunts and uncles are now gone. The generational history has many gaps in details of past family members, missing family tales or lack of information about old photographs.

During a recent cleaning out clutter from a seldom- used room, I rediscovered a large box that had not been opened for years. It contained scores of mostly black-and-white pictures, including photos of my parents as young adults and newlyweds. Several photos were of unknown people, probably family members, before my time. My fatherʼs military ID and his DD 214 discharge form also were inside, along with his badge from his time with the Work Projects Administration. It was a treasure trove of memories.

Most of the pictures and items I have seen before. It was great to walk down memory lane once again.

Families are often familiar with their parent’s stories but may know little about their grandparents and great-grandparents.

Family history and life stories help to keep memories alive and allow each generation to have a sense of who they are and where they come from.

The stories of the past provide a source of affirmation, hope and belief that a family legacy will be preserved for future generations.

Everyone has a life story to tell — and we, as aging adults, have collected a lot of stories over the years and decades. Itʼs a way to remind adult children/grandchildren of their roots and hear some of your personal stories, which they can eventually pass down to their kids.

We now can digitize important letters, military records and other documents along with photographs and pass/share copies with family members to look after.

In recent years, my grandkids (now grand adults) have become very interested and attentive in listening to some of my past stories or looking at old photos in the family album. Photos indeed are worth a thousand words and lots of time with family.

To me, reminiscing involves sharing thoughts and feelings of one’s experiences to reflect upon important events within our life.

2023 is a good year to make a resolution to ensure that your family history is preserved. Family members will appreciate your life stories in that ongoing legacy for present and future generations. They will agree with Bob Hope who said it best: “Thanks for the memories.”