Objects having secret lives and telling stories is a wonderful way to think about this tool. Enter Dawn Raffel, long-time journalist, editor, and author (and my writing friend, I'm happy to say). Her 2012 book, The Secret Life of Objects, was a Wall Street Journal bestseller and a recommendation on Oprah's summer reading list. Reader's Digest sums it up well, "Her memoir reflects on everyday objects such as a cup, a ring.... From these memories comes a whole life story." Perhaps equally enticing for readers is that Dawn describes 51 objects in only 100 pages of text! Read it and get uncomplicated, yet altogether thought-provoking, inspiration for your journey.

Take a look at objects you have and don’t want to part with – purchases, gifts, inheritances, or simply found objects. What do they signify? Why do you treasure them? Read about my own examination of an inherited object.

Think about family traditions or individuals’ customs, whether parts of special occasions or daily life. Looking at photos, talking to family members, even handling an object might bring one to mind. What does that tradition signify? Do you still honor it, have you added your own details, or have you replaced it? Does your tradition illuminate some aspect of history that’s forgotten or commonly unknown?

Read my Atlanta Journal-Constitution story about my own family tradition that I’ve updated and continued.

Historians, writers, storytellers often begin with one pressing question that provides a framework to pursue and link stories. Answering it usually reveals cultural connections and historical moments.

Does something about your family leave you wondering why or how?

My pressing question: How did my father, a Georgia farm boy who enlisted in the Infantry during The Depression, become Inspector General for all testing and evaluation of ordnance and chemical weapons in the U.S. during the Vietnam War?

Still in the early stages of this pursuit, I know I’ll be investigating previous and current confidential military information and pondering my parents’ personal qualities. While researching my father’s connection to WWII Japan, I discovered this amazing story about someone else’s pressing question.

So-called ordinary events in our lives become significant when you view them in a bigger context. Scrutinize comments and stories, especially repeated ones, from family members. What historical trends do their memories reflect? Were the individuals aware of the movement, its patterns? Did they accept or push back against the cultural expectations of that time?

Trends and movements can be negative or positive; I consider difficult ones in my forthcoming book about my family’s heritage in Georgia. I’ve only recently used this tool to comprehend family stories and link them to history. It’s been unexpectedly rewarding. In this excerpt from my work-in-progress, I take a look at my mother’s memories in light of a trend.