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!

  • Closed for the Day

    Posted on October 21, 2013 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    Some days – even when the door is closed – we can still enjoy what’s right in front of us.

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  • Who you are?

    Posted on November 6, 2014 by Janice Henshaw in Meditative Reflections and Photos

    “Don’t ever confuse what you have with who you are.” —Joshua Becker

    Read More

  • Beauty of whatever kind

    Posted on September 6, 2016 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    Beauty of whatever kind, in its supreme development, invariably excites the sensitive soul to tears. ~Edgar Allan Poe I’ve found it useful in terms of my mascara to carry a tissue pretty well wherever I go Just in case my heart opens to music I see a smile hear a story or feel in awe […]

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  • What if I fall?

    Posted on October 18, 2014 by Janice Henshaw in Meditative Reflections and Photos

    “There is freedom waiting for you, On the breezes of the sky, And you ask “What if I fall?” Oh but my darling, What if you fly?” ― Erin Hanson   Photograph ©Janice Henshaw 2014  

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  • Sorrow and joy

    Posted on July 19, 2015 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    “Sorrow prepares you for joy. It violently sweeps everything out of your house, so that new joy can find space to enter. It shakes the yellow leaves from the bough of your heart, so that fresh, green leaves can grow in their place. It pulls up the rotten roots, so that new roots hidden beneath […]

    Read More

  • 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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  • Heading down the road to who knows where?

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

    July 7, 2012 It’s late on Saturday afternoon, and I decided it was time to go out exploring. First, I drove to Lizard Lake campground and found out that what used to be a Texas Mickey challenge for young Port Renfrew teenagers is now a well-marked trail all around the lake. We set off into […]

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  • Dreams and Magical Moments

    Posted on November 8, 2014 by Janice Henshaw in Meditative Reflections and Photos

    Dreams and magical moments don’t give a hoot about logic and explanations. So laugh, breathe them in and enjoy the spaciousness and warmth that feels so good when you just let go. -Janice Henshaw Photo © Janice Henshaw  (Joyce Lockwood Park)

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  • I am in love with this world

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

    I am in love with this world . . . I have climbed its mountains, roamed its forests, sailed its waters, crossed its deserts, felt the sting of its frosts, the oppression of its heats, the drench of its rains, the fury of its winds, and always have beauty and joy waited upon my goings […]

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  • “Spring – “no problems except where to be happiest”

    Posted on June 3, 2014 by Janice Henshaw in Meditative Reflections and Photos

    “When spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be happiest. The only thing that could spoil a day was people and if you could keep from making engagements, each day had no limits. People were always the limiters of happiness except for the very few that were as good […]

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  • Moon rising over fog bank – South Pender Island

    Posted on November 10, 2013 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    “As we open to what is actually happening in any given moment … we can find ourselves rewoven into the pattern of wholeness, into the immensity of life.” – Sharon Salzberg, from Faith

    Read More

  • “Look inside yourself”

    Posted on August 26, 2016 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    “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

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  • Who says life has to be so serious?

    Posted on November 1, 2015 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    EEK! Who says life has to be soooo serious? I think I may go out right now in the torrential rain and dance around in the long grass and perhaps splash through a very large mud puddle…for the fun of it. Who says life has to be soooo serious? When I look in the mirror […]

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  • “Listen to your life.”

    Posted on September 26, 2014 by Janice Henshaw in Meditative Reflections and Photos

    “Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery that it is. In the boredom and pain of it no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is […]

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  • Joy can find space to enter

    Posted on May 17, 2017 by Janice Henshaw in Meditative Reflections and Photos

    Sorrow prepares you for joy. It violently sweeps everything out of your house, so that new joy can find space to enter. It shakes the yellow leaves from the bough of your heart, so that fresh, green leaves can grow in their place. It pulls up the rotten roots, so that new roots hidden beneath […]

    Read More

  • Fort Steele Aug. 5, 2012

    Posted on July 21, 2014 by Janice Henshaw in The Vagabond Girl - Travel Stories

    Sunday August 5th, Cranbrook A blazing hot sun – it went up to 90 degrees F today, and as I write in my journal this evening at 10:30 pm, the temperature has dropped all the way down to 82. Last night around midnight some people drove into the campground and cranked up their boom box. […]

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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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  • A bridge to Gabriola – his dream and mine

    Posted on February 4, 2014 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    A fellow had a dream he says, about a bridge linking Gabriola to Vancouver Island. Oh my, I thought, I wonder why he would move to an island and then start to dream about a bridge that would stop it from being an island? Thinking about the ramifications of a bridge had quite an effect […]

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  • “It is only kindness that makes sense anymore”

    Posted on February 24, 2017 by Janice Henshaw in Meditative Reflections and Photos

    “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, […]

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  • Decisions, decisions, decisions…

    Posted on February 15, 2016 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    Having troubles with decisions? Some days it feels like there’s a clear path right in front of us, and then what a bother, just a few feet further on, a whole bunch of boulders jump out and the path is no longer as clear as we might have hoped. We start to feel a little […]

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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.

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

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

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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