Traditionally, the oldest generation in any clan or family are considered leaders who draw from their memories and experiences to help lead loved ones. And while times have changed, with many of our grandparents relegated to the role of spoiling their grandchildren and the occasional word of advice to their children, their memories are yet worth retelling.
This was the impetus for Sunshine Place to hold a memoir writing workshop led by multi-awarded writer Oscar Peñaranda. The senior recreation center is home to many successful people in their respective fields who are now enjoying their later years in leisure.
The memoir writing workshop was originally meant to keep the members busy during the height of the lockdown as well as give them a way to socialize and hone a new skill.
But the workshop grew to something much bigger than just remembering and retelling stories.
“We first thought that it was just for our class. Then one of our classmates, Susan Benitez said ‘why don’t we have a book of all our works just for private consumption?’ And so it started. And when the moderator from Sunshine Place picked up the idea and offered to have the company sponsor the book,” Dada Trillo, one of the authors in the collection shared.
Given the numerous memories that the workshop participants had, it was necessary to choose specific topics to write about in order to hone the focus of the book. “We were given guides on what to talk about and what topics to write about. These included memories of our childhood and other important events. It was up to each of us to choose what struck us the most in terms of recollecting those memories,” Mario Torrento Jr. said.
The result was a collection of essays that span multiple topics, from recollections of childhood years growing up in another country, to a moment when a lifelong connection with a best friend is formed, even to the loss of family members and people who were close to the authors.
“Joy, bliss, pain, betrayal, loss, triumph, success — they all transcend generations. Through these essays, we hope that the readers can find themselves in our stories and find comfort, strength, or inspiration from our experiences,” Catherine Mijares Chua noted.
Ultimately, more than just a collection of memories put into ink, the authors hope that the readers can glean some lessons from their experiences. “You’ll be surprised as a reader to realize that there are experiences from other people that are similar to yours. it’s a way of unifying people and bridging the gap between generations,” Dada added.
