The Three Boys is a collection of short stories about my children's father, Bryan, and his two brothers. Because my children had lost a number of loved ones, I was afraid the oral stories, told over holiday dinners, with embellishment and banter, would be forgotten treasures.
The stories begin in Kansas with threatening dust rollers, slimy stock tanks, and an elusive pony. It continues with humorous accounts that honor Bryan, his mother, and his father. They all knew that life was uncertain and they needed to eat dessert first, in this case, pie.
We buy toys, games, clothes, and sports gear — and present these as gifts to one another. But how much more treasured are the gifts of written down impressions, word pictures, smells, sounds, conversations, and details; in other words, saved memories.
The Three Boys offers an example you can follow.
- Introduction
- The Story-Behind-the-Story
- The Setting
- The Characters
- The Stories
- The Donkey and the Bucket
- Dust Storms and Sticker Patches
- Blackie or Puddin'
- Adventures with Schnitzel
- Thanksgiving Follies
- No Pain, No Gain
- Special Olympics
- Car-Challenged
- The Referee
- Penners and Pies
- Recipes
The book doesn't include every life event, but small incidences combined into themed mini-stories: farm life, Thanksgiving, cars, dogs, and sports. Photos and images add interest. Conversations bring to life the characters.
If you do decide to write, make it simple. Don't attempt your entire life. Try writing down just 4 or 5 stories; perhaps themed, such as the most interesting places you've traveled, five or six experiences from kindergarten through high school, your favorite pets, major transitions in your life and how you coped, or a year you'd like to relive and why. Whatever you choose, make it manageable — and fun!
