Thoughts on 'Lifetime Achievement'

This play comes from two conversations I had, and a few other places.

1. A discussion with my sister, ages and ages ago, that because we are almost ten years apart our early childhoods were completely different, despite us having the same parents. In the ten years between when Ellen was born and when Max and I were born, our parents financial situation changed drastically, they moved to a new city, built a house, etc. E. was born to parents who were still finishing their educations, whereas M. and I were born into a family where our parents were already established professionals. Same parents, completely different childhoods, because we encountered them at different points in their lives.

2. A discussion with my mother about different children need different kinds of parents, and parents adapt their parenting style to what works best for their specific child. Siblings might remember their parents in very different ways, even if they lived with them at the same time.

The way you describe a play when put on the spot by your anthropology advisor is probably as close to the essence as you're ever going to get. In that case:

"Five siblings gather after their father's death to write his eulogy, but realize they can't and that because of their large age differences they all knew different versions of their father."