Eleanor is our sample story — everything here is a demonstration.
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The timeline
- 1934· BirthShared with circle
Born in Cedar Falls, Iowa
The youngest of five, born during a spring thaw.
- 1946· ChildhoodShared with circle
First library card
Walked two miles each Saturday to the Carnegie library.
The librarian let her borrow six books instead of four.
- 1958· MarriageShared with circle
Married Henry Parker
They danced to Patsy Cline at the wedding.
The ring was his grandmother’s.
- 1962· FamilyShared with circle
The porch on Alder Street
First house, first child, the porch where everyone gathered.
A story with voices from three of her children.
- 1978· FamilyShared with spouse
Tomatoes win the county fair
The garden became a neighborhood landmark.
- 1994· Later yearsShared with circle
Retired; started the reading circle
Saturday mornings at the public library.
- 2019· Later yearsShared with circle
Summer with the grandchildren
Nine grandchildren, one long table.
- 2024· Later yearsShared with circle
Her 90th birthday
Cinnamon bread, of course.
A life as a spine of moments. Every story hangs off a moment — birth, a first library card, a wedding, a porch full of neighbors.
- What a family member can do
- Family members see the moments shared with them and add their own stories to them.
- What the family controls
- Each moment is private until its owner shares it with a spouse or the circle.