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!

  • Loneliness – where the deepest activities begin

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

    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 […]

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  • A blessing greater than riches

    Posted on April 18, 2016 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    I am content; that is a blessing greater than riches; and he to whom that is given need ask no more. ~Mipham Rinpoche (1846-1912) I remember a wonderful holiday to the Hawaiian islands. During our stay, we blew the budget one night and went out for dinner and a show. At the next table sat […]

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  • “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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  • Friendship

    Posted on January 28, 2015 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    “Oh, the comfort – the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, Having neither to weigh thoughts, Nor measure words – but pouring them All right out – just as they are Chaff and grain together Certain that a faithful hand will Take and sift them Keep what is worth keeping And with the […]

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  • Practice kindness every day…

    Posted on October 13, 2015 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    “Practice kindness all day to everybody and you will realize you’re already in heaven now. That’s the story. That’s the message.” ~ Jack Kerouak Have you ever noticed How a simple act of kindness sticks in your mind, no matter how small? And how an act of selfishness also sticks in your mind? Every moment […]

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  • Beginning Again – always beginning

    Posted on June 20, 2015 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    “If the angel deigns to come, it will be because you have convinced her, not by tears but by your humble resolve to be always beginning; to be a beginner.” – Rainer Maria Rilke How hard it is to be always beginning, to push away the chill of frozen judgments and instead, to invite in […]

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  • If, if, if….Good news, You will still be OK!

    Posted on December 30, 2015 by Janice Henshaw in Meditative Reflections and Photos

    “P.S. You’re not going to die. Here’s the white-hot truth: if you go bankrupt, you’ll still be okay. If you lose the gig, the lover, the house, you’ll still be okay. If you sing off-key, get beat by the competition, have your heart shattered, get fired…it’s not going to kill you. Ask anyone who’s been […]

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  • Hadancy the Painting Horse

    Posted on February 17, 2014 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    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 […]

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  • 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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  • The bigness of the world

    Posted on March 17, 2016 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    “The bigness of the world is redemption. Despair compresses you into a small space, and a depression is literally a hollow in the ground. To dig deeper into the self, to go underground, is sometimes necessary, but so is the other route of getting out of yourself, into the larger world, into the openness in […]

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  • “Keep on – there are divine things…

    Posted on February 5, 2017 by Janice Henshaw in Meditative Reflections and Photos

    The earth is rude, silent, incomprehensible at first; Be not discouraged – keep on – there are divine things, well envelop’d; I swear to you there are divine things more beautiful than words can tell. ~ Walt Whitman As the snowflakes melt on your cheeks Let these words float inside you Never forget that our […]

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  • 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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  • 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 […]

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  • 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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  • “To love is good, too”

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

    “To love is good, too: love being difficult. For one human being to love another: that is perhaps the most difficult of all our tasks, the ultimate, the last test and proof, the work for which all other work is but preparation.” -Rainer Maria Rilke   Photograph© 2014 Janice Henshaw – Tofino

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  • A reminder… to fall in love with your own life

    Posted on May 29, 2014 by Janice Henshaw in Meditative Reflections and Photos

    Everyone’s story is a gift…and so is today. “An old man and a little kidling are gonna show you how to fall in love with your own life,” Here’s the video:

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  • Seven days of looking for the light

    Posted on October 12, 2013 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    7 Days of looking for the light What a gift it has been. “Light is creation. Darkness is the space necessary to create.”  ― Erica Jasmin Cartaya

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  • “To love is to be vulnerable”

    Posted on August 21, 2015 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up […]

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  • An orange zinnia just before sunset

    Posted on October 8, 2013 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    “What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. These are but trifles, to be sure; but scattered along life’s pathway, the good they do is inconceivable.” ― Joseph Addison

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  • To transform ourselves

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

    “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.” […]

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

Testimonials

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.

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.

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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