Wiregrass Seniors Magazine December 2017 DECEMBER ISSUE | страница 22

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Family Narratives Project funded by the Sloan Foun-
dation, we found that family stories seem to be trans-
ferred by mothers and grandmothers more often than
not and that the information was typically passed dur-
ing family dinners, family vacations, family holidays,
and the like. Other data indicated that these very same
regular family dinners, yearly vacations, and holiday
celebrations occur more frequently in families that
have high levels of cohesiveness and that they con-
tribute to the development of a strong sense of what
we have called the intergenerational self. It is this
intergenerational self and the personal strength and
moral guidance that seem to derive from it that are
associated with increased resilience, better adjust-
ment, and improved chances of good clinical and edu-
cational outcomes.” — [Duke, M.P., Lazarus, A., &
Fivush, R. (2008).
So while it is about telling your story, it kind of
has nothing to do with the story. Maybe it has more to
do with the relationship the story creates. It makes
me wonder if part of the magic is that these are the
kinds of personal stories we share when we spend
quantities of quality time.
It is the oscillating narrative where we share
our family’s ups and downs and how we survived it.
Knowing that my grandfather came from humble be-
ginnings and worked so hard to get an education has
stuck with me. I am stronger because of that story. I
am proud of that heritage.
A book like my grandfather’s was a long term
labor of love; one we are still benefitting from. It is the
best gift. Don’t know where to start? Start with the
questions from the study and then make up some of
your own!
20 Do You Know Questions
1. Do you know how your parents met?
2. Do you know where your mother grew up?
3. Do you know where your father grew up?
4. Do you know where some of your grandparents
grew up?
5. Do you know where some of your grandparents
met?
6. Do you know where your parents were married?
7. Do you know what went on when you were being
born?
8. Do you know the source of your name?
9. Do you know some things about what happened
when your brothers or sisters were being born?
10. Do you know which person in your family you look
most like?
11. Do you know which person in the family you act
most like?
12. Do you know some of the tragedies that your
parents experienced when they were younger?
13. Do you know some of the lessons that your
parents learned from good or bad experiences?
14. Do you know some things that happened to your
mom or dad when they were in school?
15. Do you know the national background of your
family (such as English, German, Russian, etc)?
16. Do you know some of the jobs that your parents
had when they were young?
17. Do you know some awards that your parents
received when they were young?
18. Do you know the names of the schools that your
mom went to?
19. Do you know the names of the schools that your
dad went to?
20. Do you know about a relative whose face “froze”
in a grumpy position because he or she did not smile
enough?