“What does each sibling say about them — verbatim, if you can?”

Why this question

The compliments, the complaints, the accidental tenderness. Dated quotes are gold here. (Only children: what their closest companions say.)

Capturing it in voice

• ·Record it on an ordinary day — the background noise of your kitchen is part of the keepsake.
• ·If they're old enough, hand them the phone and let them answer it themselves. Their phrasing is the treasure; don't tidy it.
• ·Don't script it. The ums, the tangents, the half-finished sentences — that's what their voice actually sounds like right now.

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