[Ailist] Appreciative Questions to Celebrate Life

[Bill Scott]

Hello all,

 

I am hoping you can assist me with a very personal request.

 

My mother-in-law is in the final days of her battle with cancer. Unfortunately, a
funeral service is not far off.

 

Everyone deals with their grief in different ways. My way is to come up with some way
that will allow all of us to celebrate Jean's life rather than mourn her death. About
5 years ago, before I really knew a lot about AI, I did a similar thing when my
father-in-law died. I created a PowerPoint presentation that celebrated the many
stages and facets of his life. It consisted of text typed into the presentation and
old pictures that were scanned into it. It was the best way I could think of to
celebrate his life and honour his memory. Too soon afterwards, I am looking at doing
something similar for my mother-in-law.

 

Two things are different this time. First, the technology available to me (for
example, digital cameras and camcorders that can be melded into a PowerPoint
presentation) will allow me to do interviews and take pictures that I can immediately
incorporate into the presentation. Second, and this is where this list can assist me,
I am far more familiar with AI and the positive impact that the philosophy and
approach can have - even at a funeral? At least that's my thinking.

 

So my request of you is this: what good appreciative interview questions might I ask
of family members, friends, fellow volunteers, acquaintances, and the like? How can I
get them to tell me about "the good, the better, the best" of my mother-in-law's
life? I have one or two ideas (eg. What did you value most about Jean?), but I'd like
a lot of different questions that I can ask people.

 

Anyone that can assist me with this request will have my eternal gratitude.

 

Regards,

Bill Scott 

Vancouver, B.C.