“Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.” Kurt Vonnegut. Photo © Janice Henshaw 2016
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 good to feel lost
Yesterday, the morning light came late because a grey blanket of fog lay settled between the trees. I thought that it would be the perfect gloomy and intriguing day to explore the Cedar Tree Park Reserve. After finding the trail head off North Road, I parked and then Baloo and I followed the path into […]
I Wander’d Lonely as a Cloud
I Wander’d Lonely as a Cloud “I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o’er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the […]
Nanaimo incinerator – Gabriola protesters say no way!
A beautiful sunny day for a protest in downtown Nanaimo. Just under 200 people from Gabriola headed in by ferry to protest against the building of an incinerator at Duke Point to burn garbage from the lower mainland. Here are some of the people (and canine friends) who believe in standing up for fresh air.
To transform ourselves
“The ultimate reason for meditating is to transform ourselves in order to be better able to transform the world or, to put it another way, to transform ourselves so we can become better human beings in order to serve others in a wiser and more efficient way. It gives your life the noblest possible meaning.” […]
Rail trail to Kimberley Aug 4 2012
Saturday August 4th Cranbrook I walked a good ways around Jim Smith Lake and wondered who he was. For breakfast, I cooked up blueberry pancakes with peaches. Then I read for a while and looking at the pine forest and breathing in the sweet air, I thought this moment, this experience is a pretty great […]
Freedom to change
There are as many worlds as there are kinds of days, and as an opal changes its colors and its fire to match the nature of a day, so do I.” ― John Steinbeck
“A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer…”
In looking at the calendar it’s been just over a month since I decided to take my camera on walks with me and look for the light each day in whatever form it might appear. Some days I forgot my camera, or burdened with thoughts, I saw nothing. On other days I found so many […]
Obatanga Provincial Park Aug. 18, 2012
Up at 8, and straight to the laundry which is a ½ km walk away. It sure feels good to have fresh sheets on my bed. I had an awesome shower too, the best one so far because of the decent pressure. This park is large – it has 9409 hectares and its park lakes […]
Living through the questions
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 […]
Thank you
“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.” Meister Eckhart
Tough day huh?
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! […]
Happy Thanksgiving American Friends
A Gratitude Ritual by Debbie Ford The beautiful gifts of gratitude begin at home so today invite a healing to happen in your own body in your own consciousness in your own loving heart that feels blessed to be alive Notice all the riches you’ve been given the feet that allow you to stand the […]
Being happy – such a gift
“There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy. By being happy we sow anonymous benefits upon the world.” Robert Louis Stevenson It’s so easy to be unhappy… and there are so many reasons that can be marshalled to justify such a demeanor. But oh, what a gift to be […]
Our hearts can expand
“If you pour a handful of salt into a cup of water, the water becomes undrinkable. But if you pour the salt into a river, people can continue to draw the water to cook, wash, and drink. The river is immense, and it has the capacity to receive, embrace, and transform. When our hearts are […]
“An example of life’s mystery and unpredictability…”
“I discovered that the horse is life itself, a metaphor but also an example of life’s mystery and unpredictability, of life’s generosity and beauty, a worthy object of repeated and ever changing contemplation.” Jane Smiley (Photo – Horses on Gabriola Island © Janice Henshaw)
The Messiness of Daily Living
“You might be tempted to avoid the messiness of daily living for the tranquility of stillness and peacefulness. This of course would be an attachment to stillness, and like any strong attachment, it leads to delusion. It arrests development and short-circuits the cultivation of wisdom.” ― Jon Kabat-Zinn
Each day is too short for all I want to do
“I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see.” ~John Burroughs What a gift! What contentment To be free To fill each day With such lovely pursuits. […]