People who shaped me

№ 01

“Was there someone in your life who really saw you, when other people didn't?”

№ 02

“Tell me about your mother (or whoever held that place in your life) in your own words.”

№ 03

“Tell me about your father (or whoever held that place in your life) in your own words.”

№ 04

“Was there a sibling, cousin, or near-equivalent who shaped you almost as much as a parent did?”

№ 05

“Tell me about a grandparent, or a great-aunt or great-uncle, who left a mark on you.”

№ 06

“Was there a teacher you've never quite stopped having a conversation with in your head?”

№ 07

“Tell me about a friend who has become family.”

№ 08

“Was there a mentor — formal or accidental — who changed your work or your sense of yourself?”

№ 09

“Tell me about someone you didn't get along with, who taught you something anyway.”

№ 10

“Was there an antagonist in your life — someone who made things genuinely harder?”

№ 11

“Tell me about a person you loved who died.”

№ 12

“Was there a stranger whose small kindness, on a hard day, you've never forgotten?”

№ 13

“Tell me about a friend you've lost contact with, who you still think about.”

№ 14

“Was there a person who appeared at exactly the right moment in your life?”

№ 15

“Tell me about a child who's been important to you — a niece, nephew, godchild, neighbour's kid, student.”

№ 16

“Was there a person whose example showed you how to be in a particular role — partner, parent, leader, friend?”

№ 17

“Tell me about a relative you wish you'd known — a great-grandparent, an ancestor, an aunt who died young.”

№ 18

“Was there someone who broke your heart — romantically, or otherwise — and shaped how you love?”

№ 19

“Tell me about a friend who was funnier than you, or kinder than you, or braver than you — and what they pulled out of you.”

№ 20

“Was there a friend or relative whose later-life decline you were close to?”

№ 21

“Tell me about a doctor, nurse, therapist, or carer who looked after you well at a vulnerable time.”

№ 22

“Was there a colleague who was a particular friend — not a mentor, not a boss, just someone who got you through workdays?”

№ 23

“Tell me about a person you've forgiven, even though you weren't sure you could.”

№ 24

“Was there a person you couldn't forgive — and have decided not to?”

№ 25

“If you could spend one hour with someone who's no longer here, who would it be — and what would you do with that hour?”

№ 26

“Looking back, what kind of relationship did you have with your parents, taken as a whole?”