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Family stories
The stories only your grandparents can tell
Simple questions that help family stories find their way out.
Their story,
in your words.
in your words.
Choose one idea below and try it with a memory you already have.
Ask about an ordinary day
Big questions can be hard to answer. Start with a small one: What did your kitchen smell like? Who lived next door? What did the walk to school look like?
A practical detail often opens a story you would never have thought to ask for.
A little detail, kept today, can bring a whole season back.
Follow their curiosity
You do not need to finish a list of questions. If a name or a place lights up their face, stay with it. Ask what they remember seeing, hearing, or feeling.
Leave room for silence. Memories sometimes arrive after a pause.
Keep their voice with the story
If everyone is comfortable being recorded, a short voice memory can keep the way they tell the story as well as the words.
Add the date and the names of the people mentioned. A little context helps the next generation find their way into the memory.
Keep one detail from today.
Start with a sentence, a photo or a familiar voice.