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Everywhere I turn, it looks and smells and tastes and feels like the holiday season and I find years of holiday stories from my senior buds suddenly jumping up and down in my mind like, Remember Me?!
Well, hey there, oh yes I do!!! Cool thing about stories is that they never go out of style, they are relevant year after year. So for the next few blog posts, how about a walk down holiday drive on memory lane?
Here is Mr. Gordon telling us how to talk with our extended family at our next family gatherings. It was once of you who inspired this story ;) !! 26-year-old Rebecca L., after attending one of our senior storytelling events, wrote in to us:
Thank you so much for coming and sharing your life stories. I was so inspired! And also encouraged to get to know my family better. Do you have some suggestions for what questions I should start to ask them? - Rebecca L.
After Mr. Gordon read the note, he dedicated this to Rebecca.
Arlin Gordon
12.16.2010
How to Start Talking
A lot of times we know about our immediate families, but don’t know other family members, such as a father’s sister or cousins. The family members that you do know, begin to talk to them about other family members.
It can be done in a casual setting. It doesn’t have to be formal. Begin to search for different family pictures and look at them together at the holidays. The holidays are good time for learning about family history because people come together at this time of year.
Most families gather around certain days of the year. On these occasions, there is joy and people are more willing to talk.
You can start the conversation by asking, “Who else’s birthday is in August, January, etc…?” Then you can expand on the conversation.
Remember to document what you have learned.
There is also the Internet. You can find out a lot on the Internet- find lost connections.
Once you begin these conversations, stay in contact.
Hey you know what? Let’s all give Mr. Gordon’s suggestions a try!