Q: What was growing up like for you? What are some of your favorite memories?
Granny and Pops oftentimes feel that younger generations treat them like they’ve been old their entire lives. By asking your grandparents what it was like for them as kids, you acknowledge that they weren’t actually born gray, achy and ‘out of the loop’. Despite popular belief, they too had a childhood! With inevitable change taking place daily, every grandparent grew up in a much different world than we know today. Giving your grandparents the chance to explain their favorite memories and some of the positive aspects of the past starts unimaginable conversation. And of course, it’s always neat to watch their faces light up when they talk about their favorite childhood memories.Q: What was one of the hardest things for you at my age?
Similarly to inquiring about the more positive chapters in your grandparents’ life, it’s equally important to know the harder experiences. This will give you a greater appreciation for who they are, as well as for the world’s overall progress. It will allow you to see how hard people have fought over the years to support human rights, equality, better education, advanced technology, etc. You will start to view your grandparents (and all of the elderly, really) with new eyes and deeper respect. Their lives will inspire you, and you’ll have hope for how quickly things can change. You’ll look to the future with more curiosity and excitement for what is yet to come.Q: How old were you when you fell in love? What was it like? How did you know it was the ‘real deal’? What advice do you have on love and marriage for couples today?
The idea of love and marriage has drastically changed in the last 50 years, but, grandparents give us hope. The majority of grandparents have compelling love stories. They found their partner in a different setting, in a more vulnerable and intimate world than we know today, free of social media and dating websites. Most of them are still married and have made their romantic relationship their life’s top priority. Where we have apathy and indifference towards love, grandparents worked incredibly hard to ensure that love lasts. Hearing these love stories is encouraging and inspiring. It restores hope in what it means to find ‘the one’, reassuring coming generations that true love is possible. And it’s beautiful.Q: What positive changes have you seen in our country throughout your life?
It’s always interesting to hear how the ‘changing times’ have brought about benefits, from someone’s perspective who lived through it all.Q: What are some things I did as a kid that I may not remember? What was I like, in your eyes? How have you seen me grow?
Since we can’t remember all the nitty gritty details of our childhood, asking our older family members, who do remember, is an interesting way to look into our own lives from an outer window. Asking these sorts of questions can stir nostalgia, as well as teach you more about yourself and who you are today. The answers also give birth to memories that may have otherwise gone forgotten.
