The Funeral and Memorial Information Council (FAMIC) created Have the Talk of a Lifetime to help families have important conversations about the things that matter most to them and how a person’s life story can be remembered and honored in a meaningful way.
Have the Talk of a Lifetime offers families practical advice and tools to help them have conversations about the things that matter most and how they hope to be remembered when they die and for generations to come.
Having the Talk of a Lifetime can help reacquaint us with our loved ones and help us get to know them in a new and different way. Learning about memorable events and people, places and favorite activities, values and lessons they have learned can help bring us closer to those we care about most. The talk helps us reaffirm to our loved ones how much they have impacted our life.
You can have the talk of a lifetime with anyone you hold dear. It can happen anywhere you and your loved one are most comfortable – over a meal, at home, on a walk, at a family gathering or while playing a game. Your conversation can take place at any time, not just at the end of your life.
Sometimes starting the talk by using a visual prompt, such as a photo album, souvenir, or memento, can be a great way to initiate the conversation. You could share a memory about a vacation you took together and will always remember, a piece of advice that you cherish, a song that reminds you of them or the reasons you will never forget them.
You may wish to take notes during or after your conversation, or make an audio recording. You should choose whatever method seems most appropriate and comfortable given the setting of your conversation.
For more detailed information and for a list of questions that may help you with your conversation, visit our website at reedandsteinbach.com/talk-of-a-lifetime or visit talkofalifetime.org.
