November 27 2017

Last spring I sat in a circle of elders as we took turns answering questions from the Have the Talk of a Lifetime deck of cards. The cards posed questions such as: What words of wisdom would you pass on to your childhood self? What is the scariest thing that ever happened to you? What are your favorite foods? Do you have a signature recipe?

Each person read their question aloud, gave an answer and then invited others to share their thoughts. At the end of our time together, one participant said to me, “I wasn’t sure how this was going to go, but I liked it!” We all enjoyed remembering, thinking about what was important to us and learning new things about one another. We became a stronger community together.

Imagine having this kind of experience with loved ones and family members. Perhaps we think we know everything there is to know about them, but you might be surprised. For example, do you know if they have passions they wish they could pursue but haven’t yet? Or if there are things they’ve learned from their children or other young people in their life/family? I was a part of another gathering asking these same types of important questions and a couple who had been married for more than sixty years remarked that they were still learning new things about one another.

I invite you to gather your family together, print the Holiday Guide and begin having the Talk of a Lifetime. Please visit the Time for Family, Time for Talk page at the top of this screen for more details.

*This information first appeared in Jackie Hook's article published November 2 in the Gazette.