MEMORY BOOK

[smmee]

Can I recomend for anyone no matter what phase of cancer they may be in or you have a loved one or family member with cancer to consider a Memory Book. A memory book is a book that someone can write to leave a message for their loved one's. My husband started to write one but did not get past 3 pages before his hand writing got too bad and he could not continue. This is something i would love for him to have completed not just for myself but for our son so he can learn about his father from his own words. It is such a beautiful idea i have found something to get you started. Please go out buy a nice noptebook and get started. Ask About Family Roots •Start at the beginning by asking questions about family roots. For example, what were your parents and grandparents names? Where were they from? What jobs did they have? Who were their brothers and sisters? Did your parents have any hobbies? Ask them to recall a specific memory of their mother and father. Are there any famous or notable ancestors in the family? What are some important elements of their heritage that you would like passed on to future generations? Ask About Childhood •Move on to questions about the subject's childhood. Where were you born? Who were you named after? Who chose that name? Who are your brothers and sisters? Is there a story about their birth? What did you do for fun during childhood? What was your favorite childhood book or story? What kinds of music did you like? What was the favorite place you visited? Who were your childhood friends? Are they still around? Who were your cousins? What was the hardest lesson you learned as a child? Ask About Growing Up •Now you can interview them about growing up. Where did you go to school? What did you want to be when you grew up? What was your first or most difficult job? What chores were you responsible for at home? What were your parent's rules? What are you the most proud of? Who was your first date? What movies, books, clothes or songs did you like? What was your first home-away-from-home like? What subjects were you best at? What activities or sports did you enjoy? What were your hopes for the future? Ask About Their Love Story •Now, allow them to tell the love story of their life. How did you meet your spouse? Was it love at first sight? What year was it? How long did you date? How did he ask her to marry him? What did her father say? Where were they married? Who came to the wedding? Where did they honeymoon? How many children did they want? How many children did they have? How was their experience in childbirth? What were their children like as babies? How did they enjoy being parents? If the book is being passed to grandchildren, ask them to relay stories about how the grandchildren's parents acted as kids. Ask About The Important Stuff •Next, interview the subject on their legacy. What are your political views? What are your religious views? Did you ever have a paranormal experience? Is there a historical event that changed your life? What did you turn to during hard times? Is there a poem or prayer that helped you? What is the most important lessen you learned? What do you hope for your children and grandchildren? How would you define true happiness? How much do you love your children and grandchildren?

[#2]

Thank you for the care and thought you put into your suggestion, smmee. Please accept my sincere sympathy to you and your son. A memory book.... how I would love to read about my parents and to be able to pass their stories on to my child and grandchildren. We carry on with our daily lives, expecting the people we love to be with us till they grow old and grey. The reality is that sometimes they leave us far too soon. Since my cancer diagnosis, I have started to put my thoughts on paper. It started out purely as therapy but has progressed to much more. Recently I wrote a verse for my son and daughter-in-law, they are expecting their first child soon. The verse was about the joy of seeing my grandchild for the first time through the wonder of ultrasound. One night I gave it to them, leaving them to read it alone. They phoned the next day saying the verse is now in their baby book for their child to read in the years to come. Memories, how many times do we pull out Photo albums, laughing and reminiscing about people we love. Written memories or recorded memories, definitely something to treasure over the years. Take care. Reindeer xx

[Jules2]

Hiya A friend of mine has scrap booked a book of memories with her daughter. They both enjoy scrap booking and have put their fondest and strongest memories and photos into this book. I was very privaleged to be able to view this book and it was incredibly beautiful. I hope that my friend's daughter gets a lot of comfort from it when she most needs it. Julie