Great Questions

Parents

• Do you remember what was going through your head when you first saw me?

• How did you choose my name?

• What was I like as a baby? As a young child?

• Do you remember any of the songs you used to sing to me? Can you sing them now?

• What were my siblings like?

• What were the hardest moments you had when I was growing up?

• If you could do everything again, would you raise me differently?

• What advice would you give me about raising my own kids?

• What are your dreams for me?

• How did you meet mom/dad?

• Are you proud of me?

Growing Up

• When and where were you born?

• Where did you grow up?

• What was it like?

• Who were your parents?

• What were your parents like?

• How was your relationship with your parents?

• Did you get into trouble? What was the worst thing you did?

• Do you have any siblings? What were they like growing up?

• What did you look like?

• How would you describe yourself as a child? Were you happy?

• What is your best memory of childhood? Worst?

• Did you have a nickname? How’d you get it?

• Who were your best friends? What were they like?

• How would you describe a perfect day when you were young?

• What did you think your life would be like when you were older?

• Do you have any favorite stories from your childhood?

School

• Did you enjoy school?

• What kind of student were you?

• What would you do for fun?

• How would your classmates remember you?

• Are you still friends with anyone from that time in your life?

• What are your best memories of grade school/high school/college/graduate school? Worst memories?

• Was there a teacher or teachers who had a particularly strong influence on your life? Tell me about them.

• Do you have any favorite stories from school?

Love and Relationships

• Do you have a love of your life?

• When did you first fall in love?

• Can you tell me about your first kiss?

• What was your first serious relationship?

• Do you believe in love at first sight?

• Do you ever think about previous lovers?

• What lessons have you learned from your relationships?

Marriage & Partnerships

• How did you meet your husband/wife?

• How did you know he/she was “the one”?

• How did you propose?

• What were the best times? The most difficult times?

• Did you ever think of getting divorced?

• Did you ever get divorced? Can you tell me about it?

• What advice do you have for young couples?

• Do you have any favorite stories from your marriage or about your husband/wife?

Working

• What do you do for a living?

• Tell me about how you got into your line of work.

• Do you like your job?

• What did you think you were going to be when you grew up?

• What did you want to be when you grew up?

• What lessons has your work life taught you?

• If you could do anything now, what would you do? Why?

• Do you plan on retiring? If so, when? How do you feel about it?

• Do you have any favorite stories from your work life?

Religion

• Can you tell me about your religious beliefs/spiritual beliefs? What is your religion?

• Have you experienced any miracles?

• What was the most profound spiritual moment of your life?

• Do you believe in God?

• Do you believe in the after-life? What do you think it will be like?

• When you meet God, what do you want to say to Him?

Serious Illness

• Can you tell me about your illness?

• Do you think about dying? Are you scared?

• How do you imagine your death?

• Do you believe in an after-life?

• Do you regret anything?

• Do you look at your life differently now than before you were diagnosed?

• Do you have any last wishes?

• If you were to give advice to me or my children, or even children to come in our family, what would it be?

• What have you learned from life? The most important things?

• Has this illness changed you? What have you learned?

• How do you want to be remembered?

Family heritage

• What is your ethnic background?

• Where is your mom’s family from? Where is your dad’s family from?

• Have you ever been there? What was that experience like?

• What traditions have been passed down in your family?

• Who were your favorite relatives?

• Do you remember any of the stories they used to tell you?

• What are the classic family stories? Jokes? Songs?

War

• Were you in the military?

• Did you go to war? What was it like?

• How did war change you?

• During your service, can you recall times when you were afraid?

• What are your strongest memories from your time in the military?

• What lessons did you learn from this time in your life?

Remembering a Loved One

• What was your relationship to _____?

• Tell me about _____.

• What is your first memory of _____?

• What is your best memory of _____?

• What is your most vivid memory of _____?

• What did _____ mean to you?

• Are you comfortable/ can you talk about _____’s death? How did _____ die?

• What has been the hardest thing about losing _____?

• What would you ask _____ if _____ were here today?

• What do you miss most about _____?

• How do you think _____ would want to be remembered?

• Can you talk about the biggest obstacles _____ overcame in life?

• Was there anything you and _____ disagreed about, fought over, or experienced some conflict around?

• What about _____ makes you smile?

• What was your relationship like?

• What did _____ look like?

• Did you have any favorite jokes _____ used to tell?

• Do you have any stories you want to share about _____?

• What were _____’s hopes and dreams for the future?

• Is there something about _____ that you think no one else knows?

• How are you different now than you were before you lost _____?

• What is the image of _____ that persists?

• Do you have any traditions to honor _____?

• What has helped you the most in your grief?

• What are the hardest times?

More

• What was the happiest moment of your life? The saddest?

• Who has been the biggest influence on your life? What lessons did that person teach you?

• What are the most important lessons you've learned in life?

• What is your earliest memory?

• What is your favorite memory of me?

• What are the funniest or most embarrassing stories your family tells about you?

• What are you proudest of in your life?

• What are your hopes and dreams for what the future holds for me? For my children?

• How has your life been different than what you'd imagined?

• How would you like to be remembered?

• Is there anything that you've never told me but want to tell me now?

• Is there something about me that you've always wanted to know but have never asked?

• Where did you grow up?

• What was your childhood like?

• How did you and grandma/grandpa meet?

• What was my mom/dad like growing up?

• Was she/he well-behaved?

• What is the worst thing she/he ever did?

• What were your parents like?

• What were your grandparents like?

• How far back can you trace our family tree?

• What do you miss most about the way it used to be?