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!

  • Meandering Moments

    Posted on December 13, 2013 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    Last Sunday I was ready for a walk even though it was really cold (for us west coasters that is) and I decided to drive down to Whalebone Road and start from there. It is so much fun to walk somewhere new, enjoying each step, with no particular destination or time limit – without knowing […]

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  • Emails home – it’s so much fun to use my new camping supplies!

    Posted on November 14, 2013 by Janice Henshaw in The Vagabond Girl - Travel Stories

    July 8, 2012 I love cooking with my new stove and dishes! I found out from the park ranger that I can stay here for 14 days, and I just might do that! I have the best campsite at Fairy Lake, #20, the sun warms me up in the morning, and I can walk right […]

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  • There are two ways of spreading light

    Posted on November 26, 2013 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. Edith Wharton

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  • “Force our wings to unravel”

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

    “I have come to accept the feeling of not knowing where I am going. And I have trained myself to love it. Because it is only when we are suspended in mid-air with no landing in sight, that we force our wings to unravel and alas begin our flight.” ~ C. JoyBell C. Photograph © […]

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  • Get rid of those fearful thoughts – Be Gone!

    Posted on August 22, 2015 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    “If you gathered up all the fearful thoughts that exist in the mind of the average person, looked at them objectively, and tried to decide just how much good they provided that person, you would see that not some but all fearful thoughts are useless. They do no good. Zero. They interfere with dreams, hopes, […]

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  • “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.”

    Posted on January 7, 2014 by Janice Henshaw in Meditative Reflections and Photos

    ‘Does it hurt?’ asked the Rabbit. ‘Sometimes,’ said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. ‘When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.’ ‘Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,’ he asked, ‘or bit by bit?’ ‘It doesn’t happen all at once,’ said the Skin Horse. ‘You become. It takes […]

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  • Our window on the world

    Posted on November 17, 2015 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    Our window on the world Is as big and generous As we choose to make it. Photo Horseshoe Bay © Janice Henshaw 2015

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  • How we can each find peace in our world

    Posted on April 10, 2016 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    Affirmation: I choose to respond to life’s provocations, not with anger, resentment, or regret, but with equanimity and a focus on positive action. – Jonathan Lockwood Huie

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  • Happiness is actually pretty simple, isn’t it?

    Posted on January 10, 2014 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    Happiness is…gosh, I read a whole book on it! (Ok, at least 3 books, and a zillion articles). Research, facts, surveys, stories, how-tos, and after all of it I wasn’t any further ahead than when I started. But I kept thinking about happiness and noticing that sometimes the people I meet, and myself, are struggling […]

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  • It’s so easy to love children and dogs!

    Posted on August 11, 2018 by Janice Henshaw in Meditative Reflections and Photos

    We love our little kids, and we love our dogs and cats, no matter what they look like or how outrageously they behave. Yet many (most?) of us are confused about what love is, and how to love others! And so we have a multi-billion dollar industry that thrives on that confusion. But what happens […]

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  • Challenge yourself…

    Posted on November 19, 2013 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    “Challenge yourself with something you know you could never do, and what you’ll find is that you can overcome anything.” Anonymous I found the warning sign above marking a park trail. Of course I went up it. I see signs like this in the same way that I think a bull sees a waving red […]

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  • Making the journey – that’s what counts – it matters not whether we achieve our goals

    Posted on May 8, 2014 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    Ithaca When you set out on your journey to Ithaca, pray that the road is long, full of adventure, full of knowledge. The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops, the angry Poseidon — do not fear them: You will never find such as these on your path, if your thoughts remain lofty, if a fine emotion touches […]

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  • A Rule for Every Decision of the Future

    Posted on December 5, 2014 by Janice Henshaw in Meditative Reflections and Photos

    “Then and there I invented this rule for myself to be applied to every decision I might have to make in the future. I would sort out all the arguments and see which belonged to fear and which to creativeness, and other things being equal I would make the decision which had the larger number […]

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  • Imagine a future full of light

    Posted on September 3, 2017 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    Seneca “What I advise you to do is, not to be unhappy before the crisis comes; since it may be that the dangers before which you paled as if they were threatening you, will never come upon you; they certainly have not yet come.” Becoming unhappy about what may happen in the future weighs down […]

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  • Rollick into 2016!

    Posted on January 8, 2016 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    2016? How did this new year rollick around so fast? I’ve noticed as I fill out various applications or registration thingamabobs online that I have to scroll ever longer to find my age or birthdate. Sometimes I wonder if the descending numbers will stop before my time and instead of number choices like 20 -25 […]

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  • Doing, doing, doing… instead of being content with what we have

    Posted on August 19, 2016 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    Only men must do. It’s in their nature to do, and much of what they’ve done is for the best, only sometimes they start doing before they understand that what they’ll get won’t be nearly as wonderful as what they had. ~Louis L’Amour 1973 And Allan Watts said, “We thought of life by analogy with […]

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  • The magic of enthusiasm

    Posted on December 8, 2015 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    “There is real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.” – Anonymous Oh to be surrounded by people with enthusiasm! The world becomes a brighter, happier place, infused with light and hope. Photograph © Janice Henshaw

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  • Be Nobody But Yourself

    Posted on October 22, 2019 by Janice Henshaw in Meditative Reflections and Photos

    “To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else – means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.” e. e. cummings

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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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  • The life of a bunny – worth trading for a day?

    Posted on March 14, 2015 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    “It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn’t use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like “What about lunch?” ― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh I agree – some days it all seems a bit too complicated, in so many ways, especially around income tax time. Last week I passed this little guy […]

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Blog Categories

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

Testimonials

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.

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

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

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.

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Janice Henshaw

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