The Life Story Writer
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  • The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely, or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy amidst the simple beauty of nature. …I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles.

    – Anne Frank

    Sunset Malaspina Gallery Park (1 of 1)
  • Away from the tumult of motor and mill

    I want to be care-free; I want to be

    still!

    I’m weary of doing things; weary of

    words

    I want to be one with the blossoms

    and birds.

    – Edgar A. Guest

    butterfly on lilac
  • There is something of the marvelous in all things of nature.

    – Aristotle

    arbutus tree reduced size
  • There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

    – Albert Einstein

    Full moon Drumbeg Park May14 2014JH (1 of 1)
  • Look!
    Look!
    Look deep into nature and you will understand everything.

    – Albert Einstein

    Eagle (1 of 1)
  • Sunset Malaspina Gallery Park (1 of 1)

    The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely, or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy amidst the simple beauty of nature. …I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles.

    – Anne Frank

  • butterfly on lilac

    Away from the tumult of motor and mill

    I want to be care-free; I want to be

    still!

    I’m weary of doing things; weary of

    words

    I want to be one with the blossoms

    and birds.

    – Edgar A. Guest

  • arbutus tree reduced size

    There is something of the marvelous in all things of nature.

    – Aristotle

  • Full moon Drumbeg Park May14 2014JH (1 of 1)

    There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

    – Albert Einstein

  • Eagle (1 of 1)

    Look!
    Look!
    Look deep into nature and you will understand everything.

    – Albert Einstein

Let’s begin the journey today!A Life Story is a Gift…

Shaw TV Interview – How I became the Life Story Writer

There is no greater gift than sharing the experiences and wisdom of a lifetime with family and friends.  How do family members know who they are if they don’t know where they came from – their roots? But the challenge is in getting started.

In his book On Writing Well author William Zinsser said:
One of the saddest sentences I know is “I wish I would have asked my mother about that. Or my father. Or my grandmother, or grandfather”…

It is sometimes difficult to write about yourself in a detached manner that provides an interesting read for others.  Many people put off this activity and never find the time. With some encouragement and a good guide, however, it can be a pleasant, rewarding journey to tell your own unique story.

I live on Southern Vancouver Island and can travel to record your memories of past events and the people who have made your life special.  In the comfort of your home this process will be relaxing and enjoyable. It will no doubt be fun too. We will add photos and special documents if applicable, and then we will have your story professionally printed. What a gift – for you, your family, the next generations, and friends – can you imagine holding the book in your hands, seeing it on your coffee table, in your bookcase, reading stories to your grandchildren?  It will be much cherished.

How often have you wished that your forebears had left written stories of their lives?  A family tree may appeal to some, and facts may appeal to others, but stories are how we get to know people and the times in which they lived.

You may not think you have led an exceptional life, but I am sure that through this process, you will end up thinking otherwise. You will have fun, perhaps shed some tears, and remember details you may have forgotten, but overall, you will be thankful that you made this journey into your past. It will be the creation of a special legacy for your sons and daughters, grandchildren and great grandchildren, or friends; they will be so grateful that your stories are preserved.  Don’t wait – give me a call and let’s get started.

Family and Friends
If you are a family member or friend, here’s the most special gift you will ever find for your loved one. Give the gift of a life story book to a beloved parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle or friend.

Retirement Gift
A book of photos and stories from coworkers makes an amazing and unique retirement gift.

Your Company History
Make it work for you! A short publication packed with personal anecdotes and interesting photographs can be an ideal gift for clients, and a wonderful coffee table book in your office. Highlighting projects and giving clients the opportunity to learn more about the special people who work on them can be a determining factor in developing trust. Posting the business memoir to your website will make your company stand out from all the rest!

  • It’s easy to find magical things when you create time to look for them!

    Posted on April 26, 2019 by Janice Henshaw in Meditative Reflections and Photos

    How can we find magic when our nose is buried in a cell phone? On my travels I have seen people screech to a stop at a scenic view lookout, take a quick shot with their cell phone, jump back in their car, and take off in a cloud of dust. I wonder if they […]

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  • Sunrise

    Posted on March 23, 2014 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    Sunrise The earth breathes ruffles the cedar boughs waiting takes forever

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  • Living through the questions

    Posted on March 11, 2016 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    There are no easy answers, there’s only living through the questions. ~Elizabeth George, Missing Joseph I find it difficult to respond when people start to expound on all the definitions and facts they know about spiritual matters. I appreciate the depth of their spiritual longings and intellectual exploration but for myself, I have found peace […]

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  • Relaxing at Fairy Lake

    Posted on November 6, 2013 by Janice Henshaw in The Vagabond Girl - Travel Stories

    July 7, 2012 morning I closed up my computer and ate some Hawkins cheezies, simply the best junk food going when I am feeling frustrated. Next on the task list was the job of applying an invisible shield to my cell phone to protect the screen. The instructions said to use water, and a squeegee. […]

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  • Kindness and Courage

    Posted on October 19, 2014 by Janice Henshaw in Meditative Reflections and Photos

    “Life is mostly froth and bubble, Two things stand like stone. Kindness in another’s trouble, Courage in your own.” – Adam Lindsay Gordon   Photograph © Janice Henshaw 2014

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  • Sweet white blossoms of spring

    Posted on April 25, 2015 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    The world is even more beautiful than we can imagine.  But we have to slow down enough to see, and feel, and inhale it.  Do you have a time-out (time-in the moment) planned – for you – today?   “Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only […]

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  • “Truly, it is in darkness that one finds the light,”

    Posted on January 23, 2014 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    Truly, it is in darkness that one finds the light, so when we are in sorrow, then this light is nearest of all to us. Meister Eckhart

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  • “Zen in the Art of Writing” Ray Bradbury

    Posted on June 16, 2014 by Janice Henshaw in Meditative Reflections and Photos

    “And what, you ask, does writing teach us? First and foremost, it reminds us that we are alive and that it is a gift and a privilege, not a right.” ― Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing

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  • Nature’s Show

    Posted on October 9, 2016 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    “Practicing gratitude is a very powerful tool to shift your attention on the things you don’t have to the things you do have and this alone will make you feel better.” Noelia Aanulds, Happiness: Learn How To Be Happy And Boost Your Life When I was taking photos of fall leaves at the rec center, […]

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  • Full Moon over Drumbeg Park, Gabriola

    Posted on May 16, 2014 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    Dark sky, silent sea An orange edge appears, expands Night’s golden promise.

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  • How would it change me – to look for the light – every day?

    Posted on October 4, 2013 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    It had rained hard during the night and everywhere I looked it was dripping, grey and dismal. I walked looking down at the ground to avoid mud puddles and slippery sections. Then I looked up, and saw this light – an open window beckoning me on, at the end of the, er, tunnel – of […]

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  • Not health, but healing, not being but becoming

    Posted on March 15, 2014 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    This life therefore is not righteousness, but growth in righteousness, not health, but healing, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it, the process is not yet finished, but it is going on, this is not the end, but it is […]

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  • Beautiful Though

    Posted on September 27, 2015 by Janice Henshaw in Meditative Reflections and Photos

    Foundation crumbling Walls tilting Roof isn’t to be trusted Boards weakening Floor has holes Beautiful though Perhaps more so Than when it was young. -Janice Henshaw Photocopy © Janice Henshaw 2015

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  • Fall Leaves and Sunlight

    Posted on October 20, 2013 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    Fall Leaves and Sunlight

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  • Tough day huh?

    Posted on October 21, 2014 by Janice Henshaw in Meditative Reflections and Photos

    Ah, a dark drizzly grey day that makes It easy to sit back And feel sorry for ourselves. Just yesterday we thought We had all our little yellow duckies Lined up perfectly in a row. And then some huge obstacle Morphed out of nowhere and whacked us On the side of our head. Ambush!   […]

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  • To love is what’s important

    Posted on February 11, 2017 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    “It is better to love wisely, no doubt: but to love foolishly is better than not to be able to love at all.” — William Makepeace Thackeray (English novelist of 19th century – Vanity Fair) Thackeray’s quote is delightful! I smiled when I read it. Another quote by Thackeray “The world is a looking glass […]

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  • Imitating Cormorants

    Posted on April 11, 2014 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    Children imitating cormorants are even more wonderful than cormorants. – Kobayashi Issa

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  • Autobiography, Biography, Life story, and Memoir – What is the difference?

    Posted on August 18, 2014 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Life Stories

    Photo ©  Janice Henshaw Autobiography, Biography, Life story/Memoir – What is the difference? What do they mean? Autobiography – I write an account about my life, and it could consist of just my viewpoint and memories – it’s all about me! Biography – I write an account of someone else’s life – and most likely, […]

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  • Kind People – A treasure to encounter

    Posted on January 11, 2017 by Janice Henshaw in Meditative Reflections and Photos

    Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving love creates love.” ~Lao Tzu Kind people are around us – they are a treasure to meet! A few weeks ago I had driven for a couple of hours to attend a meeting. I was at an intersection turning off the main […]

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  • Reflections – Look Inside Yourself

    Posted on September 18, 2015 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    “Do you know what you are? You are a manuscript oƒ a divine letter. You are a mirror reflecting a noble face. This universe is not outside of you. Look inside yourself; everything that you want, you are already that.” ― Rumi Photo – reflection in Victoria Lake © Janice Henshaw 2015

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Blog Categories

  • Meditative Reflections and Photos
  • Life Stories
  • Vagabond Girl – Travel Stories

Testimonials

I found your writing to be lovely and the pictures are just as wonderful.   Keep writing from your heart.  It shines through your words. Clear, simple and profound.  Thank you for sharing this.  It drew me in and warmed my heart.

Patricia D.

I’m extremely impressed with your writing skills and also with the layout on your web blog.
Keep up the nice quality writing, it is rare to see a great blog like this one today.

Rosalie

Just lovely!  The photos are beautiful, and the articles are interesting.  I was left wanting MORE! I love, love, love what you are creating.

Lori W.

What a great book you wrote for our family! It doesn’t get much better than that! MH

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Janice Henshaw

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