Page 31 - Storytelling - Storylistening

VII. Reminiscing Ideas for Recovering Golden Memories
F. Ethical Wills: How to Get Started – Here, people bequeath their values rather than their valuables, using journaling techniques to record life’s lessons, family traditions, hopes and dreams, and to express love and forgiveness. The tradition of ethical wills is thousands of years old and is referred to in the Hebrew Bible.
Today there are writing kits and books to aid in creating ethical wills, some of which are available at a web site, www.ethicalwill.com, created by Dr. Barry Baines, Medical Director at Ucare, Minnesota, and Associate Medical Director of Hospice of the Twin Cities. He also is author of a popular self-help book, Ethical Wills: Putting Your Values on Paper. Following are some ideas Dr. Baines has allowed us to copy from his web site to help you get started in writing your own ethical will.
1. Over time, write down ideas – a few words or a sentence or two about things like: • My beliefs and opinions
• Things I did to act on my values
• Something I learned from grandparents / parents / siblings / spouse / children • Something I learned from experience
• Something I am grateful for
• My hopes for the future
2. Write about important events in your life.
3. Imagine that you only had a limited time left to live. What would you regret not having done? 4. Save items that articulate your feelings, e.g., quotes, cartoons, etc.
5. Review what you’ve collected after a few weeks or months.
6. Clump related items together and notice the patterns that emerge.
7. Revise and expand the related categories into paragraphs.
8. Arrange the paragraphs in an order that makes sense to you.
9. Add an introduction and conclusion.
10. Put this aside for a few weeks and then review and revise.
p.27 ©Action Pact, Inc.2005-2006 Porch Swing SeriesTM Culture Change Workbooks