Memoir Examples
Senior Memoir Prompts & Samples
Prompt 1: In your life, to whom would you like to say “Thank you”? Whose life or example has taught you something important you hope to remember? Or, capture a moment/experience in which you made a important realization.
Thank You, Sam
By Katie M., Overland Park, KS
I sit in the church, surrounded by family. The hand of the woman next to me, a woman I have only met a few times, rests in mine. She sobs. I gaze around, trying to distract myself from the horror closing in on me. A picture of a
15-year-old boy smiles at those who fill the pews, the extra chairs and the back of the room; children and teenagers and adults overflow from the small building and stand in the May sunshine, listening through the windows. Tears roll down my cheeks.
My cousin Ellen, 18, is crouched over, her elbows on her knees in front of me. Her parents, Aunt Kathy and Uncle Bruce, grieve next to her. Ellen's older brother sits stunned. He only heard yesterday. The rest of us had an extra 48 hours. Six months later, that would make no difference, but today, we feel worlds apart.
Ellen reads Scripture, Charlie speaks, and Bruce's best friend shares a few words.
I can almost hear hearts break around the room. Watching a young girl standing in the doorway crying, a huge wave of despair hits me. I cannot stand this. Lives do not end this early. Kids do not die this young. I see Ellen struggle quietly, her grief unarticulated, her tears unshed. The photograph of her brother Sam grins unconcerned at the crowd.
A thousand emotions rush through me: guilt, anger, misery, uncertainty. What will happen to my family? I think of the anguish of my aunt and uncle, and new drops squeeze from my eyes.
The funeral ends and the dumbstruck mourners shift to the next room for refreshments. Strength emanates from the family as people form a line to speak to my aunt and uncle. Collages made by Sam's friends line the walls, showing the goofy boy with his happy-go-lucky
Prompt 1: In your life, to whom would you like to say “Thank you”? Whose life or example has taught you something important you hope to remember? Or, capture a moment/experience in which you made a important realization.
Thank You, Sam
By Katie M., Overland Park, KS
I sit in the church, surrounded by family. The hand of the woman next to me, a woman I have only met a few times, rests in mine. She sobs. I gaze around, trying to distract myself from the horror closing in on me. A picture of a
15-year-old boy smiles at those who fill the pews, the extra chairs and the back of the room; children and teenagers and adults overflow from the small building and stand in the May sunshine, listening through the windows. Tears roll down my cheeks.
My cousin Ellen, 18, is crouched over, her elbows on her knees in front of me. Her parents, Aunt Kathy and Uncle Bruce, grieve next to her. Ellen's older brother sits stunned. He only heard yesterday. The rest of us had an extra 48 hours. Six months later, that would make no difference, but today, we feel worlds apart.
Ellen reads Scripture, Charlie speaks, and Bruce's best friend shares a few words.
I can almost hear hearts break around the room. Watching a young girl standing in the doorway crying, a huge wave of despair hits me. I cannot stand this. Lives do not end this early. Kids do not die this young. I see Ellen struggle quietly, her grief unarticulated, her tears unshed. The photograph of her brother Sam grins unconcerned at the crowd.
A thousand emotions rush through me: guilt, anger, misery, uncertainty. What will happen to my family? I think of the anguish of my aunt and uncle, and new drops squeeze from my eyes.
The funeral ends and the dumbstruck mourners shift to the next room for refreshments. Strength emanates from the family as people form a line to speak to my aunt and uncle. Collages made by Sam's friends line the walls, showing the goofy boy with his happy-go-lucky