Losing a parent is one of the most difficult challenges you’ll face in your life.
Whether it’s having someone to talk to when times are tough, a person who understands your little quirks, or just the family in-jokes that made you the person you are today – when that love goes, a little piece of your heart breaks.
While some people are lucky to spend their life growing up under the guidance of love and care, for others, they have to take that journey in their stride, hoping that someone, somewhere is looking out for them.
A lot of the time, it’s questions you wish you’d taken the time to ask. Or little stories lost amongst the memories and photographs.
Now Australian author Michael Mc Queen, who was 22 when his dad died suddenly from a heart attack, has come up with the answer to help you beat some of your regrets.
The author’s new website Histography, asks users to answer a series of emailed questions over the course of a year, covering “the whole spectrum of life”. The idea is that each user will create a detailed online memory box, which they can then share with family and friends.
During his research, the same five questions kept popping up. Questions people had wished they’d asked their parents and so were answering themselves.
Compiling the list, Mc Queen found the five questions people most regret not asking a parent before they die are:
- What is your greatest regret?
- What were your hopes and dreams as a child?
- What would you like to see change in the world in the next 10 years?
- What was the most rebellious thing you did as a young person?
- What can you remember about your first kiss?
So while it might be a scary thought that one day you’ll be without your parents, make sure you don’t regret finding out the answers while you still have a chance.
