List+of+Good+Questions

Great questions for anyone

 * What was the happiest moment of your life? The saddest?
 * Who was the most important person in your life? Can you tell me about him or her?
 * Who has been the biggest influence on your life? What lessons did they teach you?
 * Who has been the kindest to you in your life?
 * What are the most important lessons you’ve learned in life?
 * What is your earliest memory?
 * Are there any words of wisdom you’d like to pass along to me?
 * What are you proudest of in your life?
 * When in life have you felt most alone?
 * How has your life been different than what you’d imagined?
 * How would you like to be remembered?
 * Do you have any regrets?
 * What does your future hold?
 * Is there anything that you’ve never told me but want to tell me now?
 * Is there something about me that you’ve always wanted to know but have never asked?

Friends

 * What is your first memory of me?
 * Was there a time when you didn’t like me?
 * What makes us such good friends?
 * How would you describe me? How would you describe yourself?
 * Where will we be in 10 years? 20 years?
 * Do you think we’ll ever lose touch with each other?
 * Is there anything that you’ve always wanted to tell me but haven’t?

Grandparents

 * Where did you grow up?
 * What was your childhood like?
 * Who were your favorite relatives?
 * Do you remember any of the stories they used to tell you?
 * How did you and grandma/grandpa meet?
 * What was my mom/dad like growing up?
 * Do you remember any songs that you used to sing to her/him? Can you sing them now?
 * Was she/he well-behaved?
 * What is the worst thing she/he ever did?
 * What were your parents like?
 * What were your grandparents like?
 * How would you like to be remembered?
 * Are you proud of me?

Raising children

 * When did you first find out that you’d be a parent? How did you feel?
 * Can you describe the moment when you saw your child for the first time?
 * How has being a parent changed you?
 * What are your dreams for your children?
 * Do you remember when your last child left home for good?
 * Do you have any favorite stories about your kids?

Parents
> What were the hardest moments you had when I was growing up?
 * Do remember what was going through your head when you first saw me?
 * How did you choose my name?
 * What was I like as a baby? As a young child?
 * Do you remember any of the songs you used to sing to me? Can you sing them now?
 * What were my siblings like?
 * If you could do everything again, would you raise me differently?
 * What advice would you give me about raising my own kids?
 * What are your dreams for me?
 * How did you meet mom/dad?
 * Are you proud of me?

Growing up

 * When and where were you born?
 * Where did you grow up?
 * What was it like?
 * Who were your parents?
 * What were your parents like?
 * How was your relationship with your parents?
 * Did you get into trouble? What was the worst thing you did?
 * Do you have any siblings? What were they like growing up?
 * What did you look like?
 * How would you describe yourself as a child? Were you happy?
 * What is your best memory of childhood? Worst?
 * Did you have a nickname? How’d you get it?
 * Who were your best friends? What were they like?
 * How would you describe a perfect day when you were young?
 * What did you think your life would be like when you were older?
 * Do you have any favorite stories from your childhood?

School

 * Did you enjoy school?
 * What kind of student were you?
 * What would you do for fun?
 * How would your classmates remember you?
 * Are you still friends with anyone from that time in your life?
 * What are your best memories of grade school/high school/college/graduate school? Worst memories?
 * Was there a teacher or teachers who had a particularly strong influence of your life? Tell me about them.
 * Do you have any favorite stories from school?

Love and relationships

 * Do you have a love of your life?
 * When did you first fall in love?
 * What was your first serious relationship?
 * Do you believe in love at first sight?
 * What lessons have you learned from your relationships?

Marriage

 * How did you meet your husband/wife?
 * How did you know he/she was “the one”?
 * How did you propose?
 * What were the best times? ?
 * What advice do you have for young couples?
 * Do you have any favorite stories from your marriage or about your husband/wife?

Working
> Tell me about how you got into your line of work.
 * What do you do for a living?
 * Do you like your job?
 * What did you think you were going to be when you grew up?
 * What did you want to be when you grew up?
 * What lessons has your work life taught you?
 * If you could do anything now, what would you do? Why?
 * Do you plan on retiring? If so, when? How do you feel about it?
 * Do you have any favorite stories from your work life?

Family heritage

 * What is your ethnic background?
 * Where is your mom’s family from? Where is your dad’s family from?
 * Have you ever been there? What was that experience like?
 * What traditions have been passed down in your family?
 * Who were your favorite relatives?
 * Do you remember any of the stories they used to tell you?
 * What are the classic family stories? Jokes? Songs?

War

 * Were you in the military?
 * Did you go to war? What was it like?
 * How did war change you?
 * During your service, can you recall times when you were afraid?
 * What are your strongest memories from your time in the military?
 * What lessons did you learn from this time in your life?