Graduation
- What graduation was most significant for you (high school, college, medical school, pre-school…)? Was it yours or someone else’s (e.g. child, parent, spouse…) Where/when was it?
- How does this graduation reflect the sense of accomplishment for what preceded it?
- What emotions do you associate with graduation? Pride? Relief? Excitement? Fear/anxiety?
- What happened at the ceremony that was memorable? Great speeches? Horrible speeches? Poignant or funny moments? Celebrity commencement speaker?
- What promises did you make or goals did you set at graduation? How did they pan out?
- What would you say now in a commencement address? What did you know then that you didn’t know before? What do you know now that you wish you knew then?
End of the School Year
What do you remember about the last day of school? The feeling of complete freedom or sadness at the end of something so familiar? Times of transition make for great Memoiries!
The end of the school year typically brings mixed emotions which are often played out as the final bell rings on the last day. A friend recently summed it up with a Memoiry she has of her son’s last day of school one year. (more…)
Memorial Day
Did you know that Memorial Day (formerly called Decoration Day) originated in the United States after the Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers? By the 20th century, it became a day to honor Americans who died in all wars or while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Later, it came to include a more general remembrance of any deceased relatives. Today, it seems to be mainly the kick-off of summer, a day off for shopping and barbecues, and time for the Indianapolis 500. (more…)
Mother’s Day
God could not be everywhere, so he created mothers.
– Yiddush proverb
Mother’s Day is a perfect opportunity to record memoiries. Following are a few suggestions of how to find them.
Have a conversation with your mom, or simply take some time to remember your experiences with her. Keep in mind the intent of capturing memoiries. What do you remember about growing up with your mother? You may be surprised that she remembers things differently than you do. Asking just a few questions might lead you to other surprising information. What do you know about her life before she was your mother? (more…)
Planting Tulips
It’s no great secret that some of the wisest people on earth are kids, and if we’d only take the time to listen to them, really listen, we could remember all the important things we’ve forgotten.
Moments with our children make great memoiries. Here’s one about an ordinary afternoon with my son that turned out to be quite special. I certainly gained some wisdom that day.
Our son, David, was four.
It was a beautiful fall Saturday and I choose to skip the Wisconsin Badger football game to get a lot done around the house. Also, to give my wife a break from being a mom, I offered to take David with me all day as I checked off my “to do” list.
One of my objectives that day was to plant some tulip bulbs in the front of house, between the sidewalk and the house. I love the concept of doing some work and seeing the fruits of that labor for years to come. Picturing the house on a beautiful day inspired me to purchase “slightly” more bulbs than I was going to. Twelve dozen instead of two dozen! (more…)
Share Your Memoiries on Facebook!
