So what do you really know about your family, cultural or ethnic history? Have you ever had the chance to ask your older relatives to tell stories about where you come from? When we are young, we don’t think to ask questions to find out about our history, and when we are older, we are not sure that anyone wants to hear our stories.

I occasionally get requests from youth to be set up with a senior so that they can ask some questions for a project or paper they are writing. But finding out about family history should not wait to be an assignment. It can be a very rich experience to interview your older family members and find out the family stories to see how much you are different or alike. To get you started, here are some possible questions to ask.

1. What is the one thing you would have done differently as a parent or in your career?

2. Why did you choose your wife/husband?

3. In what ways am I like you?

4. What were your parents like?

5. What was my mom/dad like at my age?

6. Is there anything you have always wanted to tell me, but never have?

7. Is there anything you regret about not asking your parents?

8. Are there any differences between raising a family back in your day and now?

9. What were you like at my age?

10. Tell me about your greatest wish or your greatest fear.

11. When did you realize you were not a child?

12. With what you know now, if you could go back in time, would you do anything differently?

13. How many places have you lived and traveled? How many jobs have you had?

14. Are there any family secrets that I should know about?

You may have to initially encourage and cajole the person to tell their stories. Many are not used to people paying rapt attention to their life history. And if you are asked by your grandchildren to tell them stories about your past, indulge them. Provide them with a legacy that is not found in books, on the Kindle, or in Wikipedia. Your perspective and experience can affect how future generations think and behave.

As my parents age, I annoy them with as many questions as possible to learn about my family history. Going back, I wish I could have also done this with my grandparents. There is so much to learn, especially about why I am the way I am, and where I came from.

Betsy Zuber, geriatric specialist, has been working in the field of aging for 19 years. She provides social services for people ages 55 and over and their families who live on Mercer Island. Contact her at (206) 275-7752, e-mail betsy.zuber@mercergov.org, or mail MIYFS, 2040 84th Ave. S.E., Mercer Island, Wash., 98040.