I have long been interested in oral histories, and of all the archivists I’ve encountered, StoryCorps is by far my favorite. Created by this year’s Ted Prize winner, David Isay, StoryCorps records and preserves the stories of “everyday people,” and many of the stories are charmingly animated. One of the things that makes StoryCorps’ archives different from typical oral history projects is that the subjects are interviewed by someone in their story rather than by a professional interviewer. If you haven’t watched or listened to StoryCorps’ archives before, you should make some popcorn, grab some tissues, get comfortable, and start listening. I’ve loved their interviews for years, but I found this one particularly poignant. It’s a conversation between a mother and her adopted son, and it’s all kinds of beautiful.

It’s nearly the new year! Don’t forget to tell your people how you feel about them.