Not sure what to write in a memory journal? Start with one small, specific memory — not the whole person, just a single moment. The prompts below move gently, from who they were to how you carry them forward. Answer any that speak to you, in any order, and skip the ones that don't. There is no wrong way, and no need to fill every page.
Prompts for beginning gently
- What is the first memory of them that comes to mind today?
- What did their voice sound like? What did they always say?
- Where do you feel closest to them?
- What would you tell them if they were sitting beside you right now?
Prompts about the life you shared
- Describe an ordinary day with them that you would give anything to have back.
- What made them laugh? What made you laugh together?
- A meal, a song, a place that will always belong to them.
- Something they taught you, on purpose or without meaning to.
Prompts for the little things
- Their handwriting, their handwriting on what?
- A habit or expression that was unmistakably them.
- Something they always carried, wore, or kept.
- A small kindness of theirs that no one else may remember.
Prompts about their story
- What do you want their grandchildren — or people who never met them — to know?
- A story they told about their own life that you don't want lost.
- What were they proud of?
- How would they want to be remembered?
Prompts for the harder days, and letters to them
- What do you miss most right now, this week?
- What has been the hardest part of carrying this?
- Write them a letter about something that has happened since they left.
- What do you want them to know you're okay with — or not yet okay with?
How to use these prompts
Choose one, set aside ten quiet minutes, and write only as much as feels right. You don't need to answer in order or finish in one sitting. Many people keep a candle and a journal together and return to a single prompt whenever they need a place to put the day.
Common questions
How many prompts should I answer at once?
One is enough. A single prompt, answered honestly, does more than a page rushed to fill. Come back to the others whenever you're ready.
What if a prompt is too painful?
Skip it. These are invitations, not obligations — there is no wrong order and nothing you have to write. The right prompt is the one you can answer today.
Still With Me's guided journals contain around eighty prompts like these, each edition shaped around a specific loss. New to journaling through grief? Start with our gentle guide to grief journaling.