Before it’s too late, do this with your father

In 2009, I recorded an hourlong interview with my father.

Why it matters

My father was born in Italy and came to the U.S. when he was 12. Growing up, I’d heard some of the story. He didn’t really talk about it much. So, I put my journalist skills to work and went for the basics:

• When and where were you born?

• Who are your parents? When and where were they born?

• How did they meet? When did they get married?

In my 40s at that time, I still can’t believe how much I learned about my own father. Here’s a snippet:

The Back Story

Five years later, my father’s health took a turn for the worse. An emergency tracheotomy forever changed his voice. The last years of his life, he fed through a tube. The humor he displayed in the interview had waned. His spirit, never.

My ask

Take the time to do a similar thing with your father, mother, grandfather or grandmother. You will not regret it.

If this is something you would like but don’t think you could pull off the interview, drop me a line. I’m happy to do it for a nominal fee. As you can hear from this short sample, what you get is priceless.

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Virtual lunch, Wed. Jun 19 at 12pm EDT

We welcome Brand Strategist and Coach Laura Sauter of AgencyBel as our guest of honor at the next virtual lunch on Wednesday.

Why it matters

In addition to being an accomplished professional designer, brand strategist and speaker, Laura has worked from a home office for the past two-plus decades. All as a single mother.

Going deeper

For this virtual lunch, we’ll dive into how Laura developed a strategy for work-life balance while raising kids and growing a business.

Join us

Here’s the link, Don’t forget, 12pm noon EDT.

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Chicken Soup for the Dad’s Soul

What I refer to as the best piece I ever wrote. It was supposed to be a chapter in an upcoming Chicken Soup book. I saw the galleys and everything. They canceled the project. But the piece lives on: