Legacy Letters

STORIES About Life Mr. N. Red Wagon SONGS Can’t Help Falling In Love By Elvis Presley L-O-V-E by Nat King Cole

Interviewer’s Note Gary Ethier is a strong and kind individual. It’s not often you see someone who’s had an extremely difficult and damaging upbringing become a person strongly rooted in faith, joy, and a commitment to being kind and caring to everyone. But that’s exactly who Gary Ethier is. Throughout all of our conversations, Gary’s…

Interviewer’s Note This speaker has been a joy to talk to. She’s proud of the life she’s lived and has a lot of gratitude for the great people she’s had in her life. I’m still amazed that she made it a point to continue visiting Paris for 30 years. Talking to her was a reminder…

Interviewer’s Note: It’s truly admirable the passion that Janet has for her work. That kind of dedication is hard to find. But that’s really all it takes. Love the problems you solve. Love the people around you. Love life. You can tell from the way she talks, Janet is very intelligent. She knows what she…

Interviewer’s Note This anonymous speaker really does care for her family and has kept quite a level head given all of the crazy adventures she’s had. Not to mention, how sharp she is. Her memory of some of these details is remarkable. It’s been an absolute pleasure to hear her story and I hope you…

Interviewer’s Note: Meeting Eden was like opening a great book. Her warmth and openness invited me into her story from our first moments together. She really cherishes those few important relationships in her life deeply. Eden has such a sweetness about her. During our conversations, she’d laugh at herself countless times. Eden is wonderfully receptive…

 There’s many things that can be said about Maria V. Perry. She loves chocolate pudding and played basketball when she was younger, but got thrown around because of her small size. Her birthstone is topaz and her favorite color is yellow. But if there’s one key thing to remember about her, it’s that she loves…

Interviewer’s Note James “Mike” Aaron is a kind-hearted realist. As a former journalist, he committed himself to uplifting the perspectives of marginalized communities in Maryland, advocating for different people in society to treat each other as equals. When I talked with Mike about creating his own written legacy, I learned that he is unafraid to…

Patient: Anonymous (*All names are pseudonyms) Residence: A Hospice Facility in Missouri  Volunteer’s Note Marcus is one of those rare people who can turn an ordinary room into a place of warmth just by being in it. When I first met him at his room inside the hospice facility, he was listening to blues music…

Interviewer’s Note It was a pleasure speaking with him. Throughout our conversation, his selflessness and strong character were evident. What stood out most to me was how his eyes lit up when he spoke about traveling and seeing the world. His stories reminded me how meaningful it is to live with perspective and integrity, even…