It was a warm day in July when my friend Liz called to ask if she could hire us to film the life of her 99-year-old grandfather, Grandpa Henry, a World War II veteran. She felt some urgency to record his story, and she wanted to do it right. I was thrilled by the prospect, anticipating the war stories and experiences of the history her grandpa had lived through. I expected it to be an amazing experience, but I didn’t fully expect the profound lessons I would learn once we began.
As we interviewed Henry, we tried our best to get the most exciting stories out of him by asking intentional questions. We learned about his growing up in the Great Depression and his time on a USS Essex class ship during WWII. But while these stories were truly incredible to hear firsthand, what I ended up being most touched by was the profound impact he’s had on his family and friends.
As we interviewed Henry, we tried our best to get the most exciting stories out of him by asking intentional questions. We learned about his growing up in the Great Depression and his time on a USS Essex class ship during WWII. But while these stories were truly incredible to hear firsthand, what I ended up being most touched by was the profound impact he’s had on his family and friends.
While we were there filming, one of Henry’s friends called him up and wanted to tell Liz how much Henry means to him, and he spoke genuinely about how Henry was truly one of the greatest friends he’s ever had. Liz got emotional as Henry’s friend talked about him, and she looked at her grandpa with tears in her eyes.
I thought back on how excited I was to come to film his story mostly because of what he did and what he experienced in life— for his place in history. In world history, Henry will go down as one of many honorable soldiers that served in WWII and he will and should be celebrated for that. But more importantly, he will be remembered by his closest friends and family for who he was, not by what he did.
This experience was a reminder of something that we tell virtually everyone we come across: that your life and story matter. You don’t have to have done anything major to be worthy of having your story told and remembered. You just have to have lived and loved.
As my favorite saying goes, “to the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world”. Grandpa Henry exemplified this sentiment, reminding us of the profound impact one life can have. Through our films, we strive to honor not just the history-makers, but also the unsung heroes, capturing the essence of each individual, making them eternal in the hearts of those who love them.
Do You Want Your Loved One’s Life Recorded and Brought to Life? Look No Further!
EverStory creates personalized documentary films to bring your loved one’s stories to life in a unique and powerful way. If you’ve ever thought about recording your loved one’s stories and haven’t done it yet, now is the time to do it! We can help you along the way. Contact us today for a free consultation about the film you want to create!