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With days of family picnics, vacations and reunions in the rearview mirror, it's easy to move full steam ahead into the busy fall season and forget to make time for meaningful conversations with family members.
You may think you know your relatives well, but having meaningful, intergenerational conversations and asking questions about what matters most to them can deepen your relationships. Taking time to get to know your loved ones better can allow you to walk away from these conversations with memories and stories to cherish forever.
If you're unsure where to begin, the Funeral and Memorial Information Council (FAMIC) created the "Have the Talk of a Lifetime" initiative, which offers families the resources to facilitate conversations that can be remembered for years to come.
Having these conversations can be difficult and hard to start, but the Have a Talk of a Lifetime Workbook takes away some of the stress and guides you through a step-by-step process of communicating with your loved ones.
The workbook includes conversation starters and room to document the memories shared. A few thought-provoking questions include:
- Describe your greatest accomplishment. What makes it so special to you?
- How would you describe yourself as a child? What is your best memory of your childhood?
- Who has been the most important or influential person in your life? Can you tell me more about him or her? What did you learn from him or her?
- How would you like people to remember you? What words do you hope will be used to describe you and your life?
Take advantage of the time you have to answer some of these questions with your loved ones, which can provide moments to cherish and life advice.
For more information on the campaign, visit talkofalifetime.org.
(article courtesy of Family Features and Funeral and Memorial Information Council)