Memories become memoirs in local workshop
November 07, 2009 11:33 AM
DENVER - "Tell me your life story." It's a sentence you'll never hear in the MemoryWriters workshop even though the program is all about writing people's life stories. Instead, workshop founder Melissa Knopper throws out topics like "My Mother's Hands."
"It's sometimes the smallest details that create the richest memories," she said.
Knopper created the MemoryWriters program six months ago. She teaches groups of seniors, usually at community centers, how to begin writing their life stories.
"Seniors don't have an outlet to tell their stories, or maybe people don't always listen. And this is a way they can they can be heard in a group of people who are like-minded," Knopper said.
Alongside Knopper for the workshops is her colleague Susan Bruckner, the organization's co-founder and a mental health counselor who specializes in grief and loss. Bruckner says recalling some memories can be emotionally difficult.
"They've had such rich, rich lives. Most of them have lived over 60 years. And there's a lot going on. Life isn't easy," Bruckner said.
One of the most recent class participants, Janet Thompson, had a difficult time talking about a decades-old friendship that had suffered with the passing of time.
"Her daughter told me yesterday she probably wouldn't remember me if I visited her in a nursing home," Thompson said through tears while talking about her friend Bonnie.
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