Questions to ask
Questions to ask your mother
There is a version of your mother you have never met: the girl she was before you, the young woman who became someone's parent without a manual. These questions are how you meet her, and how you keep her voice.
Record on a phone, one question at a time, ten minutes at a sitting. You are not making a documentary. You are making sure her voice outlasts the day.
Her early life
- 01Where did you grow up, and what does that place smell and sound like in your memory?
- 02What kind of child were you? Were you shy, wild, bossy, dreamy?
- 03What did you want to be when you grew up, and what happened to that dream?
- 04Who was your best friend as a kid, and what did you get up to together?
- 05What is a story about your own parents that you do not want forgotten?
- 06What did your family not have money for, and how did you feel about it then?
- 07What is a smell or a song that takes you straight back to being young?
Becoming a mother
- 01What do you remember about the day I was born?
- 02Were you scared to become a mom? What scared you most?
- 03What did you get wrong at the start that you figured out later?
- 04Was there a moment you knew you would do anything for me?
- 05What did your own mother do that you swore you would do differently?
- 06What is the hardest part of being my mother that I never saw?
- 07What did I do as a little kid that still makes you laugh?
Her marriage and love
- 01How did you and Dad meet, and when did you know?
- 02What is the best decision the two of you ever made together?
- 03What do you wish you had known about love at twenty?
- 04What kept you together through the hard years?
- 05Is there a love before Dad you have never told me about?
What she believes
- 01What does a good life look like to you now?
- 02What are you proudest of, and it is allowed to be small?
- 03What is a regret you have made peace with?
- 04What do you believe about God, or the meaning of it all?
- 05What is worth being stubborn about, and what is worth letting go?
- 06How do you forgive someone who really hurt you?
For me and for the future
- 01What do you most want me to remember about you?
- 02What do you want my children to know about you?
- 03What did you always want to say to me but never found the moment?
- 04What do you hope for me in the years you might not be here for?
- 05If you could relive one ordinary day with our family, which would it be?
Keep the answers somewhere they will not get lost
A recording buried in your camera roll is a recording nobody finds again. Shtello Legacy keeps it safe, lets you choose who it is for, and can deliver it on a date you pick or hold it privately for years. Only the person you choose can ever watch it. Free to start.
Start freeCommon questions
What if my mom does not want to be recorded?+
Start with a warm question and no camera, just your phone's voice memo, and tell her it is for you. Most people relax once they realize you are asking because you love their stories, not testing them.
How many questions should I ask in one sitting?+
Three or four. Keep it under fifteen minutes so it feels like a chat, not an interview, and come back another day for more.
How do I keep the recording safe for the future?+
Shtello Legacy stores your recordings and lets you deliver them to someone on a date you choose, or keep them private for years. It is free to start.