“Know that you have plenty of spirit; for even before you began to equip yourself with maxims which were wholesome and potent to overcome obstacles, you were taking pride in your contest with Fortune; and this is all the more true, now that you have grappled with Fortune and tested your powers. For our powers […]
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!
Splash into the Incoming Tide
Discard like unwanted clothes, all thoughts of what you need, who you should be – just splash into the incoming tide and allow the cool silken waves to curl around your bare ankles – and wait for it – the delicious harmony of being fully alive in this moment, without wishing for anything different. […]
“It is only kindness that makes sense anymore”
“Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside, you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing. You must wake up with sorrow. You must speak to it till your voice catches the thread of all sorrows and you see the size of the cloth. Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore, […]
Cranbrook, Jim Smith Provincial Park (Aug. 3, 2012)

Cranbrook, Jim Smith Lake Prov Park The wind blew up last night, and it kept me awake. It was a short night because I wanted to be early at the Balfour ferry terminal, I had no idea whether or not there was a high demand for the crossing. I was first in line! A true […]
“This very moment is the perfect teacher…”
“Feelings like disappointment, embarrassment, irritation, resentment, anger, jealousy, and fear, instead of being bad news, are actually very clear moments that teach us where it is that we’re holding back. They teach us to perk up and lean in when we feel we’d rather collapse and back away. They’re like messengers that show us, with […]
“The Beauty of Life”
“The beauty of life is, while we cannot undo what is done, we can see it, understand it, learn from it and change. So that every new moment is spent not in regret, guilt, fear or anger, but in wisdom, understanding and love.” Jennifer Edwards Photograph © Janice Henshaw 2015 Drumbeg Park
“Look inside yourself”
“Do you know what you are? You are a manuscript of 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 Photograph © Janice Henshaw 2016
Beautiful Though
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
A Big Challenge – July 23, 2012
July 23, 2012 A big Challenge As I turned the ignition key, the engine responded with that noise telling you and everyone else listening, it just doesn’t feel like starting so early in the morning. The noise was so loud; I hated to think of what my fellow campers were calling me right at this […]
“Sometimes it’s a boat, and sometimes it’s more of an Accident.”
Now then, Pooh,” said Christopher Robin, “where’s your boat?” “I ought to say,” explained Pooh as they walked down to the shore of the island, “that it isn’t just an ordinary sort of boat. Sometimes it’s a Boat, and sometimes it’s more of an Accident. It all depends.” “Depends on what?” “On whether I’m on […]
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.
Cranbrook to Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta
Monday August 6, 2012 – Cranbrook to Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta – 270 km Waterton Lakes National Park ($30.00) I camped in the Red Rock Canyon at Crandell Lake. It was the only place available as everything else was booked. There are mountains all around us and some have lovely red colours in the rock, hence the […]
Hadancy the Painting Horse
I do a lot of walking but it hasn’t happened before, seeing a white horse sauntering along a quiet island road towards me. In the distance it looked like it was alone, but as I got closer, I saw a woman sitting relaxed on top with no saddle, and no bridle, just a rope looped […]
Trust the dreams…
“Trust the dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity.” ~Kahil Gibran Photo – Waterton Lakes falls © Janice Henshaw
You can’t really feel what’s going on inside until you go out!
Sometimes the hardest thing we can do is manage out time to “get out there.” But if we do, we find that all the balls we are juggling tend to slow down, and their urgency tends to diminish. Our heart rate slows, our brain waves slow, our lungs expand with deeper breaths, and our bodies […]
Soften your heart
“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
Loneliness – where the deepest activities begin
Yet it is in this loneliness that the deepest activities begin. It is here that you discover act without motion, labor that is profound repose, vision in obscurity, and, beyond all desire, a fulfillment whose limits extend to infinity. -Thomas Merton A different thought… “Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of […]
Light on Quiet Old Boards
As the light shines on the worn boards I wonder who built this house, who lived in it, what were their hopes? Their loves?
Grow in the Open Air
“Now I see the secret of the making of the best persons. It is to grow in the open air, and to eat and sleep with the earth.” – Walt Whitman Photograph © Janice Henshaw 2014 – Joyce Lockhart Park, Gabriola Island



















