Sep 11, 2019
I had such a great discussion with Allison Gilbert for this episode. I had the pleasure of meeting Allison earlier this summer at the National Alliance for Grieving Children annual symposium in Snowbird, Utah. Allison is a board member of the NAGC, and was a keynote speaker at the symposium. I knew right away that she would be fantastic to talk to about practical ideas for keeping the memories of our loved ones alive, and also about how important it is to do so.
Some topics that Allison and I cover include:
- Why keeping memories alive is so important to our long-term and short-term well-being;
- How remembering helps to create continuing bonds with our loved ones who have died;
- Why Allison’s goal is to empower people to feel confident in implementing ideas and strategies for remembering;
- Using fillable lamps to display collectibles or small items that remind you of your loved one;
- Ideas for repurposing fabrics into special keepsakes, even if you’re not crafty yourself;
- Why she calls technology the “low-hanging fruit of memory keeping”;
- Ways to use social media to help with remembering, including embracing “Throwback Thursday”;
- Suggestions for engaging your kids around cooking mom’s or dad’s favorite recipe;
- What is commemorative travel, and how it can help us honor and celebrate our loved ones; and
- Additional ideas and resources you can request by emailing Allison.
One quick tech note: about halfway through, the audio on my side of the conversation gets weird. I’ve tried everything to fix it, to no avail. I recently upgraded to a fancy new microphone that really should not have these issues, so it appears I have some troubleshooting to do. I apologize in advance for the rough audio in places. Allison sounds great on her end of the line, and that’s the most important part.
I hope you enjoy my discussion with Allison Gilbert.