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!

  • Manning Park, Hampton Campground, July 25, 2012

    Posted on February 3, 2014 by Janice Henshaw in The Vagabond Girl - Travel Stories

    Manning Park, Hampton Campground, July 25, 2012 If you leave this morning remember why you’re going on the trip – to get some much needed rest, to de-stress, to see beautiful nature and to have fun! So if something is happening that is stopping you from that, then stop and refocus! I believe you will […]

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  • Swift Current, Saskatchewan and clanking noises – Aug. 9, 2012

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

    Aug. 9th Thursday – Swift Current Saskatchewan ($20.00 + tax) I am in SASKATCHEWAN,  the third province over from the west coast. I pulled in just before dark, and am now unbagging an instant caesar salad and singing along to John Lennon’s “Come together, gotta be free.” Yeah, right on! Strange words to that song, […]

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  • It’s Only A Moment

    Posted on November 2, 2018 by Janice Henshaw in Meditative Reflections and Photos

    In a photo, you can see and focus on the dark areas the mid-tones or the light. Learning to live life to the fullest means being able to accept it all That which you cannot do anything about That which you can do something about. Sitting and complaining and bemoaning is good Only for the […]

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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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  • “I have forgotten so much…”

    Posted on January 31, 2014 by Janice Henshaw in Life Stories

    “I’ve forgotten so much. Please, please let me keep more than a photograph. When age finally takes the folds of my mind and collapses them, when all goes gray and confused, Let me remember love. ~Michale D. Heilman

    Read More

  • Look! Up there! It’s the sun coming out!

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

    I was walking to the Village Center on Gabriola Island, and all of a sudden this girl pointed right in front of me and said  ”look up – up there!” She was smiling, delighted, and pointing at the sunlight coming out from between the clouds. My 3rd day of looking for the light, and already, […]

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  • Rest over the holidays!

    Posted on December 20, 2017 by Janice Henshaw in Meditative Reflections and Photos

    “The purpose of a vacation is to have the time to rest. But many of us, even when we go on vacation, don’t know how to rest. We may even come back more tired than before we left.” Thích Nhất Hạnh Instead of trying to figure out how much we can fit in on a […]

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  • Contentment

    Posted on April 14, 2014 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    “Because one believes in oneself, one doesn’t try to convince others. Because one is content with oneself, one doesn’t need others’ approval. Because one accepts oneself, the whole world accepts him or her.” ― Lao Tzu “A quiet secluded life in the country, with the possibility of being useful to people to whom it is […]

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  • Sweet white blossoms of spring

    Posted on April 25, 2015 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    The world is even more beautiful than we can imagine.  But we have to slow down enough to see, and feel, and inhale it.  Do you have a time-out (time-in the moment) planned – for you – today?   “Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only […]

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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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  • Change – from one moment to the next

    Posted on May 21, 2014 by Janice Henshaw in Meditative Reflections and Photos

    “The rhodo’s beauty stops me, dissolves my worry replaces it with hope.” Photograph Janice Henshaw © 2014

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  • Rising every time we fall – it’s all just for practice

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

    “Our greatest glory is, not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” Who said those words? Quote Investigator: In 1760 and 1761 a series of letters written by an imaginary Chinese traveler based in London named Lien Chi Altangi was published in “The Public Ledger” magazine of London. The actual author was […]

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  • Which path? Which direction? Now?

    Posted on February 13, 2014 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    Which path? Which direction? Now? Tomorrow? Not ever? So many options! I have to remind myself that all forward motion doesn’t have to be perfect, all thought out, every detail worked out in advance. That sometimes I just have to let go and leap. One step, That’s all it takes. And then Another. Dig deep […]

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  • Imitating Cormorants

    Posted on April 11, 2014 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    Children imitating cormorants are even more wonderful than cormorants. – Kobayashi Issa

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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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  • “Zen in the Art of Writing” Ray Bradbury

    Posted on June 16, 2014 by Janice Henshaw in Meditative Reflections and Photos

    “And what, you ask, does writing teach us? First and foremost, it reminds us that we are alive and that it is a gift and a privilege, not a right.” ― Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing

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  • Loving with a Clear View

    Posted on June 27, 2016 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Meditative Reflections and Photos

    There’s nothing more beautiful than seeing through the eyes of love rather than through the blinders of assessment. It’s why we love our pets so much. They accept us as we are wholly and without any explanations or complications. Perhaps they are visitors from another dimension living examples of present moment living, blissfully happy to […]

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  • Pebbles on a beach, each one different

    Posted on June 23, 2014 by Janice Henshaw in Meditative Reflections and Photos

    In my wanderings, I leave behind what seems to be a beach full of mistakes. Sometimes I even admire their ingenuity, their colours, their unique shapes.   For the most part  though, I see and feel their darkness, their rough textures, and wonder at the extent of my unknowing. I taste the salty depth of […]

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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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  • About me – the lifestorywriter

    Posted on October 20, 2013 by Janice Henshaw in all posts, Life Stories

    About Me – The Life Story Writer I am a professional writer with a Bachelor’s degree specializing in English and Business Administration. My name is Janice Henshaw and I live on Vancouver Island. Here are a  a few other facts about me. A business woman – An Executive Director for ten years so I have […]

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Blog Categories

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

Testimonials

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.

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

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