It is horrors of horrors when something so shocking and painful happens to us in our world. It is gruesome to think of your child slaughtered to death. The hardest thing is your last moments. The hardest thing is searching your heart for the connection of love that has been ripped so violently from you without any warning whatsoever. You scan your memories, but there is so much pain you can’t remember the stories, the voice, the hugs, the smiles. The life essence force of your loved one is gone. Call out the search and rescue because they have vanished.

You can go to social media postings, scrapbooking, photos and videos. But they don’t support the imagination of the totality of the heart and soul of your loved one. It is only in the storytelling and the oral history of such an individual where imagination ignites the hologram of the individual who is no longer around.

The pain overrides the pleasure and foreshadows any amount of joy in telling the story. If you get these stories turned into books, you have the opportunity to remember that person’s life essence because their words are telling the stories in the book.

You can read the stories over and over again, like a mantra or fervent prayer to yourself, your family, to the dearly departed and future family members. I am proactive in turning your stories into books for just these reasons I have stated. It seems that when the voice of the person is gone, so is the magnificent storytelling of that individual.

A Cautionary Tale

“A cautionary tale:  I’m strongly suggesting you contact every person/couple/family

you know over the age of 60 as well as harried young parents, new parents, pre-school, grade-school, teenagers and young adults, even if it’s just a casual acquaintance.  If it’s the latter, yes, you’ll have a little more explaining to do but, as simple as this sounds, I’m convinced it’s mandatory. I went to a funeral visitation today.  The guy was loved by all, as witnessed by my standing in line for a full 55 mins.  Granted, I didn’t arrive ’til 5, but still…I’ve never stood longer.

He was someone I worked with in TV, and we kept in touch through an occasional social group — too occasional.  Apparently, despite his declining health, it never occurred to me to follow up with him after I told him about my new business.  It turns out he was quite the family man and, while I only spoke with his widow for a minute, she told me he’d been interested in making a book with me!  I told her — which is true — that I have another widow who’s now interested, despite being alone.  This widow appears to have a ‘bigger view’ of it all.  Tonight’s widow, however, responded, ‘Oh, it would only be half a story without him.’

I certainly don’t regret missing out on the money, but I’ll never forget letting down my

friend — and his widow.” ~ Anonymous