Add a story, photo or Pict-Oral Memory^tm

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, yet an image can't always convey the full range of senses, can it? What better way to right the record than in the voice of the one who knows it best?

When you add a Pict-Oral Memory^tm to your legacy portfolio, within three minutes you can add voice and character to photographs and written stories, creating an unforgettable heirloom for your descendants. And they will love you for it.

Maria LaPlaca Bohrer wrote the children's book Sofia’s Stoop Story, a tale based on the meal her own grandmother prepared each Sunday, in Brooklyn, New York.

While the sauce and meatballs Grandma prepared simmered, Sofia and her cousins gathered on Uncle Frankie's stoop to listen to his stories. Sofia never heard their ending, though, because Grandma depended upon her to shop for bread, cheese and pastries.

One Sunday, Sofia was mesmerized by Uncle Frankie's story about the day he met Brooklyn Dodgers baseball player, Carl Furillo, when her grandmother called her away. When she returned from her errands, the story had ended, and Sofia was sad.

The best part of this story, like yours and mine, is it highlights inter-generational connection and the power of story. (And much to the reader’s delight, at the end of her book, Bohrer shared her grandmother’s meatball recipe.)

One doesn’t have to live in an Italian neighborhood in Brooklyn to appreciate the powerful senses evoked through food rituals or their scents. Whether you’re seeing the image of a roasted turkey or enjoying the aroma of sautéed garlic from a stoop, either can awaken other senses, like the sting of tears from dicing onions, or the sounds of glasses clinking, and voices of our loved ones engaged in conversation. 

• Which images or photographs awaken your senses?

• What were and remain your food rituals and where did you learn them?

• Like Sophia, did you experience special meals prepared on Saturdays or Sundays? What were your favorites?

• Who joined you at the meal?

• Were certain pots used for dreaded meals; what did they look like?

• What were your mealtime rituals -- scrub your face and hands, family prayers?

• Do you have a recipe to share?

On LegacyStories.org, you can upload your food photographs (come on, we all have them) and narrate its story through a Pict-Oral Memory^tm. Your photograph can be set to private, shared with family and friends, or you can choose the public setting.

Click the photograph for a sample Pict-Oral Memory^tm, entitled “Dad’s Donuts,” produced by  Lois Jill Rader Hayes, a member of LegacyStories.org.

A shared reflection, whether it's written or narrated, can offer heirs and descendants insight into family traditions, or their lack. Food rituals can be categorized into Childhood, Photo Memories, Personal, Family or Other. Acknowledging the role of food in your childhood can also provide valuable information about your family connection and the importance of tradition.

Register or Log into LegacyStories.org to add a Story, Photo or Pict-Oral Memory about the stories that surround Food Rituals to your Legacy Portfolio.

Legacy Matters! Pass it on!