When older relatives talk about “the old neighborhood,” ask follow-up questions. That place only exists in them now.

A neighborhood that has been rebuilt still exists, but only inside the people who walked it. The corner store, the names of the kids on that street, which house had the mean dog: none of it is written down anywhere. When an older relative starts telling you, they are opening a place with exactly one living map.

Next time it comes up, ask something specific instead of nodding along. What was on that corner, who lived upstairs, where did you go when you had no money. Specific questions get stories, and general ones get summaries. Record the answer on your phone if they do not mind.