Are you looking for a really unique gift for a special person in your life, something that will be treasured forever? Something that is totally personal and meaningful? And something that can be passed down from generation to generation that all the family and friends will love?

The answer is a professionally produced  book all about that special person, telling their story in words and pictures! For a mother or father, a grandparent or even for your child - it's something that will be a treasured keepsake.

I have just written one for my daughter to celebrate her 28th birthday. It traced all her life's special moments so far: from birth through her formative years; her school days; university studies; holidays; her career; special friends; the man she fell in love with - his proposal and their marriage.

I gave it to her as a surprise yesterday on her birthday and she was utterly thrilled with it. And her friends adored it too.

It makes the ideal gift for a group of friends or family to club together to buy to celebrate a birthday or  wedding anniversary or any other special occasion

And for older people who already have everything they need, it is something that really shows how much you care about them.

It could be a surprise, but far better to let the person tell their own story in unhurried interviews, choose exactly what they want recorded and decide on which pictures to include. The person being interviewed will remain in total control of the written word.

In my wedding and commitment ceremonies I always ask a couple if they wish me to include the guests in the ceremony. A a wonderful way to do this is to get the family and friends to stand and ask them a question. It could be "Do you support this couple in their commitment to each other?" and they can answer "We do". 

For one couple the question was more precise...would guests commit to being there for the couple during good times - as well as bad, to help them through any difficult times in their relationship with honesty and integrity.

Of course guests will happily agree to offer this kind of unconditional support at the ceremony, but I wonder for how long does their commitment last? So often people disappear off the horizon when they realise friends' relationships are in difficulty. And if they do step in to help, they often take sides, which can cause the couples' problems to escalate.

Friends or family just being there to listen without judging and without taking sides, can be of great assistance  so can the knowledge that no relationships are easy and difficult times are part and parcel of life.

Specially trained professional counsellors can also help - and it's worth remembering that a few sessions early on may avoid more serious problems later on. 

All too often we seek help only when in dire crisis, hospitals when we're physically ill and counsellors or psychologists when we're at our wit's end.

The health of all relationships takes constant work - but's well worth putting in the effort  - whether we are friends, family or part of a couple.

A dear friend of mine is mourning the loss of one of her longest, closest friends...he died of cancer following a long, painful battle. Knowing he was sick a party was organised for his birthday early this year, a wonderful way to surround him with loving friends and family - a party similar to a Living Wake.  

She visited him just the weekend before he died, but had no idea the end was so close. It is so important to be able to say our goodbyes, but alas so many people never get the chance to do this, and I'm convinced it helps in the grieving process. My father refused to allow me to return to England when he knew he was very ill and I never got that chance to say goodbye. My grieving process was very long and protracted I believe as a result...

Being my only living parent, it was a huge loss, leaving me very much in the orphan status...there were so many things I wanted to share with him, that I never got the chance to. 

So many of my close family in England have passed away in the last few years, and I so cherish the times I spent with them. Each visit was cause for real celebration, close gatherings that I am so very grateful for. Death is a natural part of life, but while funerals will always have an important place in our society, I believe Living Wakes are the perfect way to really celebrate someone's life while they are there to enjoy the occasion. 

Everyone's life is important and deserves to be remembered, and what better way than through a book - a tangible, tactile way to ensure your memories never die.

My daughter told me a little while ago that the thing she would like most from me is a book telling my life story and that of my family - because she was scared she would forget the family stories I had told her. 

It got me thinking that so many other people would cherish a similar gift. 

Basically it means one can live on forever through one's memories. What a wonderful way to communicate with future generations to come!

But writing a book - especially about oneself - is hugely daunting as well as a massively time consuming task. How to gather one's memories? What to write? How to write? Where to start? The list of questions goes on and on.

What did I do? First I signed up for a book writing course. Though I have spent my life writing and editing on a daily basis as a journalist, I decided I needed some specialist help. I read everything I could get my hands on about writing memoires, writing life stories and writing non-fiction.

Then I decided on what I wanted to write about, sorted it out into logical chapters, linking my life with other family members and their stories, and then I began to write.

But it wasn't easy even for a writer like myself, so it made me think that perhaps I could offer this service to others, who were less experienced with writing and editing.

There were not many people out there offering this service and those that were, were charging a huge amount of money. 

But though I have a feeling that it's only older people who would cherish their life story being recorded, there are also all those interested in geneology. Thanks to the internet and ease of research, this is now the number 1 hobby in Northern America and Australia is tipped to follow suit. Ancestry.com, Australia's most popular online resource for family and social history recently commissioned a survey which found that 83% of Australians are interested in their family's history and 72% have actually done some research.

But what are they doing with all the information they have found? Stored it on their computer - put cuttings in a shoebox? So, I thought perhaps I could help these people too, weave their research into a highly readable and professional story... 

And because I think everyone's story deserves to be told, I decided to ensure I could produce packages to suit everyone's budget.

So, hence the new business, a new chapter in my life. And that's certainly cause for celebration!