DOCUMENT A LIFE STORY

By Dr. Marion Somers, Ph. D., Ask Dr. Marion

QUESTION: I know my great grandfather has led an interesting life. I would love to record his stories, but would that be an intrusion, Doctor Marion? Brooke in Sydney, Australia

ANSWER: Dear Brooke,

One of the most wonderful things about living a long life is that you get to have many amazing experiences which result in lots of stories. An older person often needs to have these stories coaxed out of them, so go ahead and be the coaxer.

Stories can be told with still photos, the written word, and recorded with the wide variety of video cameras now available. These stories honor your great grandfather's life and can give everyone else insights as to how prior generations lived. A captured life story remains with your family long after your great grandfather passes on for all to enjoy again and again.

I like to ask my elderly clients about the highlights of their life. It's a way to show them I'm truly listening and connected to them. In telling their story, the elder usually reveals a lot about themselves today and who they were in the past. Telling the tales also gives them a real sense of being alive, so encourage this with your elder loved ones. Their life is like a big jigsaw puzzle, and this helps us and them see the whole picture as they reveal the various pieces of their life. Over the years, I've heard literally hundreds of thousands of stories and I've loved every one of them.