Personal connections- 50 questions that build bonds

Personal connections- 50 questions that build bonds with people you want to know better

My grandpa wasn’t one for sharing his story.

As one of 10 kids in the Depression, he was extremely private about the hardships of his early years. One day I came to visit, with questions and a tape recorder. He reluctantly agreed to be interviewed. And so we sat, his curious granddaughter and her grandpa who loved her enough to finally open up on tape.

It wound up being the last visit we would ever have.

There are so many people I wish I’d asked more questions of that it is too late now. People have so many stories that we miss out on but not knowing what to ask. And those people, are the foundations of our stories too.

To help combat those regrets, I created a list called of targeted questions to increase the depth of our relationships.

Personal connections help us gain wisdom and give love

Our aging loved ones are some of our greatest sources of wisdom and experience, and they want to share with us. Giving their perspective.

A friend once told me that with all the busyness of life, her elderly mother said that once you get old, you have nothing but time. And nobody wants to share it with you. That, is an unnecessary tragedy.

In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future.- Alex Haley

Let’s enjoy people with intentional relationships. Questions are a wonderful way to get started. Unsure where to start?

Enjoy this free PDF: 50 questions that build connections with people you want to know better to get the conversation started.

Look for connections to your own life, listen thoughtfully, preserve the heritage of story…

P.S. This is my grandpa joining the Navy at age 17, in 1941

I’ve just shared a new post on Substack that dives deeper into this topic, with practical tips and a look at how my own family traditions have shaped the life we live today. You can read it here and subscribe for more!