Your life didn’t begin on your birthday. It began with your ancestors—your grandparents and your parents.

Many a teenager claims their parents were put on this earth to embarrass them. I’ll never forget Daddy’s fishing worms. When my girlfriends and I raided the refrigerator for a middle-of-the-night-pajama-party snack, there were Daddy’s worms—all lined up in their itty-bitty plastic boxes right on the top shelf. I mean, REALLY?

Your parents probably didn’t store worms in the refrigerator, but I guarantee they created many must-tell stories.  

Like with your grandparents, take your parents one at a time and use the following prompts to help you tell their stories:

What was his/her full name, including maiden name for your mother?

When and where was he/she born?

Tell a story about his/her childhood.

Tell a story about his/her education.

How did he/she make a living?

Tell a story about his/her interests and/or skills.  

Tell a story about him/her overcoming challenges.

Describe his/her looks. Do you or other family members share the same physical characteristics?

Tell a story about his/her “quirks.” Do you or other family members share the same idiosyncrasies?  

Tell a story about a time you did something special with him/her.

Tell a story about him/her disciplining you. What did you do? How did you get caught?

What did you learn from him/her?

When did he/she die?

What was the cause of his/her death?

Where is he/she buried?

What is his/her legacy?

What else do you want future generations to know about him/her?