Have you been thinking about preserving the memories of your mother or father for yourself and future generations? Are you looking for a simple but powerful way to honor your loved one? Creating a video is a great way to showcase Mom or Dad’s legacy—and now is the best time to do it!
Don’t let your family’s stories get lost. Interviewing your loved one and giving them the chance to reminisce creates a sense of continuity, linking the past with the present and the future. It’s a way to pass on family stories and traditions, preserve family history and cultural heritage, and maybe even learn a family secret or two. Focus on capturing your loved one’s unique stories, perspective and mannerisms, and not just a list of dates and events.
Not sure where to start? All you need is a smartphone and some questions to get you going. Plan your recording when your loved one is alert, making sure they’re comfortable in a setting that is as quiet as possible. Having good audio is critical, so do a quick test of their voice to make sure you’re getting a clear recording.
Use these 10 questions to spark your conversation:
1. Tell me about your birth story?
Where were you born? In a hospital? What did your parents tell you about your birth or about your mom’s pregnancy?
2. What was your first, most vivid memory?
Where were you, can you describe the setting? Who was there?
3. Tell me about your parents.
Where were they from? What were they like? Which one was stricter? What about your grandparents?
4.Tell me about where you lived as a child.
Was it a house or apartment? What was your neighborhood like? Describe your bedroom and what you remember seeing out the window.
5. What were you like as a child?
Did you like school? Did you have any pets? What did you do for fun? What was your favorite toy?
6. How did your family celebrate the holidays and vacations?
What were your favorite traditions? What did you do during the summers? Tell me about your favorite vacation.
7. Tell me about when you were a young adult.?
Did you go to college/join the military? What did you do for fun? What was your first job?
8. How did you meet your spouse?
Where did you go on your first date? When did you decide you wanted to marry him/her? Tell me about your wedding.
9. If you could go back to any age, what would that be and why?
Tell me about what you were doing at that time in your life.
10. What advice do you have for a young person growing up today?
What important lessons did you learn in your life that you would like to pass on?
If both of your parents are still alive and able to participate, interview them
together and ask them to talk about their shared memories of dating, their
wedding, their first house or apartment, having children, etc. You can also ask
their siblings to participate to enrich the video with additional stories.
When it’s complete, give it as a gift to your loved ones and other friends and family as
a celebration of your mom and/or dad’s life!
Home Care Angels provides assistance with daily activities, such as dressing, eating and personal care, from home service aides. Please call 847.824.5221 to speak with one of our Client Care Coordinators if you would like more information on in-home care.