5 questions to ask your elders
Conversations with our loved ones often hold more wisdom than we realize. At times, you may need to ask the right questions to get them talking. Thoughtfully framed prompts can help a parent or loved one reflect on their experiences and share insights. When asked with patience and genuine curiosity you’ll likely be able to hear some good stories. Try these:
1) What have they’ve learned over the years. Inviting elders to reflect back allows for the distilling of decades worth of experience into guiding truths shaped by success, failure, and change.
2) Did any lessons from hardship stick out? Ask about the lesson from difficult experience.
3) What were their life’s turning points? Encouraging discussion on unexpected or pivotal moments reveals how single events or decisions altered their direction.
4) What is happiness? This uncovers how priorities shift with age and what truly matters once youthful assumptions fall away.
5) What values guided their life? When they share information about their moral compass and key decisions, you’ll gain insight.
Source: Legacy Project
Image: iStock.
