Last night, I received a call from a dear classmate, Donna Ingram/Wernberg. From the main reason of her call, it didn't take us very long to go down the reminiscing trail. Our time goes back to grade and high-school days at good old Laurel Consolidated School in central Iowa.
We volleyed our school day stories and memories back and forth like two pro tennis players. Some topics one of us would remember and maybe the other wouldn't, but, on we went for nearly a couple of hours. (a recent record for me talking on the telephone.) It was great.
We both regretted, in the jest of our conversation, that we should have interviewed our mothers and obtained more stories and memories from them. If your parents are still around it is not too late.
If you are thinking about it, don't you dare put a pad and pen in front of them and simply say "start writing." Pick just one or two topics that you would like to know about and sit down with prepared questions. Your topic and questions will keep things focused. If you get off the main topic, make some notes and save that topic of their interest for next time.
Remember, you are, in a way, immortalizing them with interesting stories that can be enjoyed by family members for generations to come. Remember! How do you eat the elephant? One bite at a time. And, just a few interesting stories of loved ones are better than none at all. An old quilt in and of itself can't say much! There usually is a good story that goes along with it.
Lastly, if loved ones are no longer around, you are "batter up." Also, remember! By the time you write a few stories about your "good old days" and the relative of yours, that you may never know, reads it guess what? It will probably be fifty to a hundred years from now.
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