Celebrate Memories of Life on the National Day of Listening

When you give yourself the opportunity to sit down with an important person in your life and ask them about their past memories, it can be a life-changing experience.  As most of us know, memories can be sweet and happy, sad and bitter, or simply reflections of contentment.  Memories are abstract references of who we are, and how we came to be.  Not all memories are deep and meaningful, but they are the colorful pieces of our lives that define us, give us purpose, and keep us moving through life, until its end.  You can learn a lot – not just about the person you are speaking with, but also about who you are – by simply listening.

This year, take the time to sit down with the older people in your family and ask them about memories from their pasts.  StoryCorp created The National Day of Listening, which is November 26th.  StoryCorps is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to provide Americans from all backgrounds and beliefs, the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives.  Dave Isay, founder of StoryCorps believes, “By listening closely to one another, we can help illuminate the true character of this nation reminding us all just how precious each day can be and how truly great it is to be alive.”

Since 2003, StoryCorps has provided an avenue for people to post and share life experiences on their website.  It is as simple as recording conversations, and if you choose, archiving in the American Folk History section of the National Library of Congress.  In 2008, StoryCorps spearheaded the first National Day of Listening, which now falls every year on the day after Thanksgiving.  The goal is to inspire younger Americans to spend time talking with the important people in their lives about memories of their pasts.  Whether speaking to a father, or a grandmother, neighbor or a teacher – the idea is to help people connect through the power of listening. 

The experience of listening to your loved one’s story can lead to laughter and maybe a few tears, but, most importantly, you will learn valuable information about the person you are listening to, and gain stories to pass down through the generations of your family.  Your great-grandchildren will delight in retelling the crazy antics of your grandmother, or come to revere their great-grandfather as a legend in a past war or other encounter.   Younger members of your family will become familiar with ancestors they never met, and come to understand the fabric of the past that led to their being.  The history of your family will be recorded, remembered, and talked about for years to come.

Think, for a minute, the gift you are giving by listening.  As elders are coming to the end phases of life, as we all do, by asking them to relive their past memories, you are – in essence – letting them know that you are interested in who they are.  You are providing a way for them to relay to you things that were and may still be important to them.  You are letting them know they are valued, and you care about who they are.  At this stage in life, listening to your elder loved ones is perhaps one of the greatest gifts of all that you can give.  All it costs are moments of your time.

StoryCorps is one of the largest oral history projects of its kind, and they provide you with a free kit and information regarding how to post your stories on their site, if you desire.  Learn more about the National Day of Listening and how your family can participate by visiting www.storycorps.org.

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