Building an Accessible Family Memory Bank
Before we immigrated, I was born in a country that was just starting to grow from its not-too-distant independence. I was born when technology was much more accessible to those with means. I was born into a family with both agricultural and contemporary city roots. And I was born into a family with amazing examples of human strength, of human curiosity, and deep caring for their families and friends. I know I learned a lot from them simply through watching, growing up around them, and being influenced by them in subtle ways.
The one thing that I didn't have at the time was a way of recording all of this. Now, as an adult well underway in life, I often find myself thinking back, wondering about the stories that I don't even remember from these amazing individuals.
After we immigrated, we did what all people do: we focused on survival, learning, and integrating the new land, people, and culture into our practices so we could thrive in our new home. We already spoke the language, but language by itself is not a culture. We learned new norms and formed our own culture in our new home, just like past generations did when they migrated. And while some of us struggled, others succeeded. This is the human experience that we all share.
Through all of this, however, it was easy to focus less energy on the foundational behaviors and characteristics that led to us having an opportunity. We leaned into making the necessary decisions to continue a journey forward that would enable our next generations. Some passed too early, way too young, and some by no choice of their own. From an outsider's eye, they could be judged as unsuccessful; for us, they are remembered fondly as having done the best they could with their situations. What I think about now are the next generations. These generations, and the ones after them, are who I think of when I reflect to my previous generations: What would my grandparents think about me now? What would I like to ask my father now if I had the chance? What should I record and pass on as cultural knowledge and lessons of character?
I have a parent with an amazing memory. Every time she tells me of her happy childhood and the close-knit immediate and extended family she grew up with, those stories are wonderful to hear. She regales us with the fun times that they had growing up. Through all of it, I also learn about the struggles they had. I learned about what my grandparents had to deal with and how they pushed through so that they could put themselves in a position to make decisions and take actions that led to where we are today as a family.
Her stories include nicknames for her family and even places where the names have changed. She often repeats the stories multiple times—not because she has forgotten telling us, but because she often reminisces about the fun times, and those moments bring her joy now. She doesn't spend time on social media. She doesn't post pictures of her meals. She doesn't post selfies from every trip. But all the time we spend with her are the memories that we are building. I am putting these moments into a family memory bank. Her stories are not just about her; they also include everyone who shared her life with her.
As much as I enjoy those stories, her grandkids do even more. It always makes me think back to what stories I had heard and may not even remember today. What learning am I missing out on? This repository of memories is what I wanted to build: a memory bank. A bank that does not run out as more people draw from it. A memory bank that grows with every story added.
Culture is our memories. I wanted to build a cultural preservation tool to pass on my family's culture to future generations. I wanted to ensure social media posts did not represent who I am. I wanted to leave messages for the future for my own family, so I built a time capsule that could be passed on digitally—written in my own words, spoken in my own voice, and presented in my own video—to be delivered at times in the future when I may or may not be here. I don't need to be there then, but I need to be here now to create my future messages.
I built a site for my own family that I believe others will also find positivity and benefits from. I built eternalcurrent.online, and I want to share it with the community. Passed on to ensure the future generations always know the strength of the currents that brought them here.