Consider the powerful influence of Butler’s (1963) original contention that life review is essentially old age specific and triggered by thoughts of impending mortality. If this is the lens through which researchers and practitioners operate, then questions about alternative instigators of reminiscence, as well as earlier developmental stages, might not even be entertained. Such limited conceptualizations of reminiscence, as we show in this article, are no longer defensible. We believe it is vital, therefore, to place the framework we present within a set of general theoretical parameters.