Today is the National Day of Listening. Set aside time to record a conversation and to preserve for generations.

Hug someone you love today and then record their story on video or audio. It just takes an hour of your time.

While everyone is rushing about on Black Friday and getting in to the hustle and bustle that the Holidays bring, an organization called StoryCorps has declared today as the National Day of Listening. 

StoryCorps is an independent nonprofit whose mission is to honor and celebrate one another’s lives through listening. Since 2003, more than 50,000 Americans have interviewed family and friends through StoryCorps, making it one of the largest oral history projects of its kind. 

As part of their onoing efforts, StoryCorps first launched the National Day of Listening in 2008.  According to their website:

On the day after Thanksgiving, set aside one hour to record a conversation with someone important to you. You can interview anyone you choose:  an older relative, a friend, a teacher, or someone from the neighborhood.

You can preserve the interview using recording equipment readily available in most homes, such as cell phones, tape recorders, computers, or even pen and paper. Our free Do-It-Yourself Instruction Guide is easy to use and will prepare you and your interview partner to record a memorable conversation, no matter which recording method you choose.

Make a yearly tradition of listening to and preserving a loved one’s story. The stories you collect will become treasured keepsakes that grow more valuable with each passing generation.

Here at Home Instead Senior Care of Sonoma County, we believe it is so important to listen to your loved ones, especially the elderly or seniors who have lived such rich lives, and to preserve those stories for many generations to come.  We applaud the efforts of the National Day of Listening and trust that you’ll make every day a day to listen to a loved one’s story.