This is How to Create an Amazing Memory of a Loved One!

Written by Howie Gitlow One Comment

Aug 2018

This week’s video is about how to create a well rounded and thorough memory of a loved one.

I have done it for my mother and it was a wonderful experience.

I actually used it to make my mom’s eulogy. All her friends said I really got the essence of my other.

Now, PYP is going to teach you how to create a memory of a loved one…

There are 7 steps to making a well rounded and thorough memory of a loved one.

(1) Get photographs from their entire life.

(2) Invite people who have known the person in all different capacities in their life.

(3) Put all the photographs on a table in no particular order, but facing in one direction.

(4) Have the people put the photographs into thematic piles, IN SILENCE. You don’t want the participants to distract each other.

(5) Once you get down to between 3 and 15 piles, stop the exercise.

(6) Next, have the people look at the photos in each pile and name the theme of each pile. The only rule is the piles can’t reflect chronology. I mean they can’t be the person as a teen, then in their 20s, then in their 30s, etc.

(7) The theme piles are the underlying characteristics of the loved one. You will be amazed. Some of the names of the piles may be tough to think about, so you may want to massage them before you present them to the loved one.

Use It or Lose It to Make It Actionable:

To create a rounded memory of a loved one simply follow the 7 step process we just outlined.

When to Use It:

There are a few times that it really works great and usually, it is for an older person as they have more life experiences to draw from.

It works for:

Eulogies
Retirements
50th Wedding anniversaries
70th or 80th Birthdays

What Do You Think?

Is this something you would consider using to create a memory of a loved one? What other situations could you see yourself using it in? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!

Until next time, behave, and as always…Prime Your Pump!
–Howie

If you enjoyed this post, it would mean the world to us if you shared it with people you care about via any of the social media platforms below!

One Reply to “This is How to Create an Amazing Memory of a Loved One!”

Dave Savadge says:

August 17, 2018 at 2:21 pm

My wife did something similar for her mother’s 90th birthday. She delved into her archives and found at least one picture of her mother taken in every decade of her life, starting as a toddler. These pics served as centerpieces at her mother’s birthday lunch. True, this took the chronological approach, but she had to make do with what was available. Her mother never worked – her entire life consisted of being a housewife and mother. Everyone loved the tribute, which we held in a local restaurant.

A few years later, at my mother’s 90th, my wife needed to apply a different approach. Since my mother’s family were war refugees, no photos exist until 1946. So I had the task of digging up pics of Vienna off the net. I chose the landmarks that are still in existence – such as Schönbrunn Palace, Hofburg Palace, der Reisenrad, St Stephen’s Cathedral, Wiener Staatsoper, Spanische Hofreitschule, plus of course a view of the Danube. I also located a pic of the ship her family traveled on from Genoa to New York. Real photos showed her wedding, her college graduation, and wearing her nurse’s uniform. Plus of course her playing Scrabble. In retirement she became a professional Scrabble player, winning several tournaments, and even once beating the then current North American champion. We threw this birthday party in the common room of her apartment complex in New Mexico, and it was a rousing success.

Howie, your idea is a great one, just that my wife does things her own way. I keep telling her that she’s a very crafty wench. Which reminds me, my 70th occurs quite soon, and I wonder what she’s planning behind my back. Of course she leaves no clues. She’s very sneaky, and I like that!