Just one thing…

The idea of enjoying one more day with the people we love and have lost is expressed in novels, songs and poems.  It is a crushing ache for many that have lost their loved ones too soon.  We consider the things we would say; the sentiments of love, affection or the questions we might ask.   This is a particularly interesting thought when we are faced with dementia and Alzheimer’s.   Our parent’s are still with us but the history and stories begin to slip away.   The time is now to fill in the holes and ask the questions about their history and your own. 

Michael McQueen is a social researcher and author that lost his father at the young age of 51.  He was saddened that so many questions that he had about his dad would never be answered and was passionate that others would not share that regret.  McQueen has discovered that certain questions kept cropping up and has narrowed it down to five.  

  • What is your greatest regret?
  • What were your hopes and dreams as a child?
  • What would you like to see change in the world in the next 10 years?
  • What was the most rebellious thing you did as a young person?
  • What can you remember about your first kiss?

Enjoy the time with your loved one filling in that verbal history and remember to share your own stories with the people closest to you.  They are the fabric of our families and only grow richer and more treasured with time. 

*McQueen’s site, Histography, asks users to answer a series of emailed questions over the course of a year, covering “the whole spectrum of life” to produce a detailed online memory box. Then, “at the end of the journey”, the answers are compiled into a hardback book and given to loved ones.