This Thanksgiving, we have the unique privilege of having four generations of family gathered together to celebrate – from our seven year old daughter to her great grandma GG at ninety-three years young. I had the honor of sitting down with GG for several hours yesterday, to interview her about her life, her loves and her losses, her reflections, and best of all, her fabulously funny stories that had us both laughing on the couch.
After our conversation, she thanked me several times for the chance to reminisce. But it is me who is most thankful this holiday season. I am so thankful to be able to do this work every day – to listen to people tell their stories, to help them share a part of themselves with their loved ones, and to preserve their legacy for future generations. Several times during our conversation, my daughter came into the room and climbed onto my lap to listen as GG talked about how she met her husband, her first trip to Italy, and how her love of art grew. For me, those moments are everything.
I hope that everyone has a chance to experience a similar moment this year through the Story Corps Great Thanksgiving Listen. Just download the app, find your favorite person, and start talking! I am so thrilled to see a national movement that recognizes the power of telling and recording stories – get ready to be inspired!
For more information on #thegreatlisten and the StoryCorps app, check here: https://storycorps.me/about/the-great-thanksgiving-listen/
Need more inspiration for questions to ask your family? Check here for my Thanksgiving survival post: http://11stories.com/2014/11/starting-the-conversation-the-thanksgiving-edition/