So relatable. There are so many times that my siblings and I want to ask my mom or dad questions especially when our memories collide! Recently the "girl cousins" in my family had a session with my 90 year old aunt to ask her all the questions we wished we had asked our moms (her sisters). When I asked her if our questions were too much for her, she laughed and said "No - if I don't remember I just make it up. I mean who is going to tell me I'm wrong?"
The story truly speaks to me. There isn’t a day that goes by that I wish I had asked my maternal grandmother more questions about her early life in Sicily, her voyage to America, her young adulthood here, and the rest of her family, some who did not come over. I know the basics, but not the details. 💔
Enjoyed your story. Carl says I will talk to a lamp post. When I meet someone on the street in our neighborhood, which is very walkable (two blocks from campus) I ask twenty questions, usually rapid fire, looking for a common denominator. It’s a great way to meet people and develop relationships. It has always worked for me. I also love family history and try to gather as much of it as possible.
I was (amazingly). I asked my grandma and my father lots of things - but I failed to write down their answers and I forgot so much. I’m grateful that my mother wrote down parts of her life. When I returned to Chicago to take care of my father as he was in his last 6 months, I brought a tiny recorder with me- the kind attorneys used for dictation. I recorded a bunch of stuff but… it’s on little 2” cassettes 🤦🏻♀️ one day towards the end, no recorder in hand, I asked my father another question and this time he said “enough, the time for all that is done”. I understood. And immediately, I regretted all the things that I did not ask, even though I thought I had been so conscious about asking. There’s never enough time. 😔
So relatable. There are so many times that my siblings and I want to ask my mom or dad questions especially when our memories collide! Recently the "girl cousins" in my family had a session with my 90 year old aunt to ask her all the questions we wished we had asked our moms (her sisters). When I asked her if our questions were too much for her, she laughed and said "No - if I don't remember I just make it up. I mean who is going to tell me I'm wrong?"
She is a great story teller!
The story truly speaks to me. There isn’t a day that goes by that I wish I had asked my maternal grandmother more questions about her early life in Sicily, her voyage to America, her young adulthood here, and the rest of her family, some who did not come over. I know the basics, but not the details. 💔
Enjoyed your story. Carl says I will talk to a lamp post. When I meet someone on the street in our neighborhood, which is very walkable (two blocks from campus) I ask twenty questions, usually rapid fire, looking for a common denominator. It’s a great way to meet people and develop relationships. It has always worked for me. I also love family history and try to gather as much of it as possible.
You are so good at that. When I don’t have to be on, I get into my head too much.
so true and universal. We always think we have time and then the questions aren't asked and the words are left unsaid...
And, if you try to tell young people to ask all the questions they aren’t interested. I wasn’t when I was younger.
I was (amazingly). I asked my grandma and my father lots of things - but I failed to write down their answers and I forgot so much. I’m grateful that my mother wrote down parts of her life. When I returned to Chicago to take care of my father as he was in his last 6 months, I brought a tiny recorder with me- the kind attorneys used for dictation. I recorded a bunch of stuff but… it’s on little 2” cassettes 🤦🏻♀️ one day towards the end, no recorder in hand, I asked my father another question and this time he said “enough, the time for all that is done”. I understood. And immediately, I regretted all the things that I did not ask, even though I thought I had been so conscious about asking. There’s never enough time. 😔