Great questions for anyone
* What was the happiest moment of your life? The saddest?
* Who was the most important person in your life? Can you tell me about him or her?
* Who has been the biggest influence on your life? What lessons did they teach you?
* Who has been the kindest to you in your life?
* What are the most important lessons you’ve learned in life?
* What is your earliest memory?
* Are there any words of wisdom you’d like to pass along to me?
* What are you proudest of in your life?
* When in life have you felt most alone?
* How has your life been different than what you’d imagined?
* How would you like to be remembered?
* Do you have any regrets?
* What does your future hold?
* Is there anything that you’ve never told me but want to tell me now?
* Is there something about me that you’ve always wanted to know but have never asked?
Friends
* What is your first memory of me?
* Was there a time when you didn’t like me?
* What makes us such good friends?
* How would you describe me? How would you describe yourself?
* Where will we be in 10 years? 20 years?
* Do you think we’ll ever lose touch with each other?
* Is there anything that you’ve always wanted to tell me but haven’t?
Grandparents
* Where did you grow up?
* What was your childhood like?
* Who were your favorite relatives?
* Do you remember any of the stories they used to tell you?
* How did you and grandma/grandpa meet?
* What was my mom/dad like growing up?
* Do you remember any songs that you used to sing to her/him? Can you sing them now?
* Was she/he well-behaved?
* What is the worst thing she/he ever did?
* What were your parents like?
* What were your grandparents like?
* How would you like to be remembered?
* Are you proud of me?
Raising children
* When did you first find out that you’d be a parent? How did you feel?
* Can you describe the moment when you saw your child for the first time?
* How has being a parent changed you?
* What are your dreams for your children?
* Do you remember when your last child left home for good?
* Do you have any favorite stories about your kids?
Parents
* Do remember what was going through your head when you first saw me?
* How did you choose my name?
* What was I like as a baby? As a young child?
* Do you remember any of the songs you used to sing to me? Can you sing them now?
* What were my siblings like?
What were the hardest moments you had when I was growing up?
* If you could do everything again, would you raise me differently?
* What advice would you give me about raising my own kids?
* What are your dreams for me?
* How did you meet mom/dad?
* Are you proud of me?
Growing up
* When and where were you born?
* Where did you grow up?
* What was it like?
* Who were your parents?
* What were your parents like?
* How was your relationship with your parents?
* Did you get into trouble? What was the worst thing you did?
* Do you have any siblings? What were they like growing up?
* What did you look like?
* How would you describe yourself as a child? Were you happy?
* What is your best memory of childhood? Worst?
* Did you have a nickname? How’d you get it?
* Who were your best friends? What were they like?
* How would you describe a perfect day when you were young?
* What did you think your life would be like when you were older?
* Do you have any favorite stories from your childhood?
School
* Did you enjoy school?
* What kind of student were you?
* What would you do for fun?
* How would your classmates remember you?
* Are you still friends with anyone from that time in your life?
* What are your best memories of grade school/high school/college/graduate school? Worst memories?
* Was there a teacher or teachers who had a particularly strong influence of your life? Tell me about them.
* Do you have any favorite stories from school?
Love and relationships
* Do you have a love of your life?
* When did you first fall in love?
* Can you tell me about your first kiss?
* What was your first serious relationship?
* Do you believe in love at first sight?
* Do you ever think about previous lovers?
* What lessons have you learned from your relationships?
Marriage
* How did you meet your husband/wife?
* How did you know he/she was “the one”?
* How did you propose?
* What were the best times? The most difficult times?
* Did you ever think of getting divorced?
* Did you ever get divorced? Can you tell me about it?
* What advice do you have for young couples?
* Do you have any favorite stories from your marriage or about your husband/wife?
Working
* What do you do for a living?
Tell me about how you got into your line of work.
* Do you like your job?
* What did you think you were going to be when you grew up?
* What did you want to be when you grew up?
* What lessons has your work life taught you?
* If you could do anything now, what would you do? Why?
* Do you plan on retiring? If so, when? How do you feel about it?
* Do you have any favorite stories from your work life?
Religion
* Can you tell me about your religious beliefs/spiritual beliefs? What is your religion?
* Have you experienced any miracles?
* What was the most profound spiritual moment of your life?
* Do you believe in God?
* Do you believe in the after-life? What do you think it will be like?
* When you meet God, what do you want to say to Him?
Serious Illness
* Can you tell me about your illness?
* Do you think about dying?
Are you scared?
* How do you imagine your death?
* Do you believe in an after-life?
* Do you regret anything?
* Do you look at your life differently now than before you were diagnosed?
* Do you have any last wishes?
* If you were to give advice to me or my children, or even children to come in our family, what would it be?
* What have you learned from life? The most important things?
* Has this illness changed you? What have you learned?
* How do you want to be remembered?
Family heritage
* What is your ethnic background?
* Where is your mom’s family from? Where is your dad’s family from?
* Have you ever been there? What was that experience like?
* What traditions have been passed down in your family?
* Who were your favorite relatives?
* Do you remember any of the stories they used to tell you?
* What are the classic family stories? Jokes? Songs?
War
* Were you in the military?
* Did you go to war? What was it like?
* How did war change you?
* During your service, can you recall times when you were afraid?
* What are your strongest memories from your time in the military?
* What lessons did you learn from this time in your life?
You have thirty minutes.