Preserving the Story of the Senior in Your Life

As part of Sandra’s Saavy Senior Tips, this month we focus on: How can you preserve the story of the senior in your life? Here is one idea that is simple to do and is guaranteed to become a lifelong treasure.

About three years before my father passed away, I sat down and interviewed him about his life.  I set up the video camera (now, you can easily use the video camera on your smart phone) and began asking questions.  I began with the early years and just let him talk…..

I was amazed and surprised by his emotions as he shared his story.  He would “choke up” as he reminisced about the early years….at first, I would stop the camera and let him regain his composure.  After several interruptions, I decided to let the camera roll.  These emotions were a huge part of what was happening, and I didn’t want to lose what was clearly an extremely sensitive part of this experience.

The video is 45 minutes long and I have now made copies and shared it with my siblings.

From time to time, I bring it out and share it with my children.

Take some time and sit down with a senior loved one and ask them to share their life story….the result is priceless.