This is my book, Gift to My Daughter. It links her with her family, through the generations, through the family stories and through the defining moments that connect her from her ancestors to the moment she was born.

And did she like it? Did she ever...She said "It's incredible, the most amazing gift of my life. It means more to me than you know."  And that makes all the hard work worthwhile. 

Writing a life or family story not only has immense physical and emotional benefits to the person recalling the stories, but offers younger generations a vital sense of connection and belonging. And it's something that can be passed on through the generations - a way to ensure your life and your memories live on forever. 

Celebrating Life's Chapters can create your life and family story. All it takes is an interview with you - and I do all the hard work,, culminating in a stunning, professional book that will be treasured forever. 

It really is the gift that keeps on giving... 

 
From every wound there is a scar, and every scar tells a story. And it's not just a story about pain and suffering, it's also a story about survival, the learning process, and seeing the silver linings.
 
We often treat troubles as real negatives. They come into all our lives with no notice and we don't want to have to deal with them. But the reality is, troubles can often open the door to many positives.
 
And it's only when you've overcome the tough times that will you see the benefits they may have brought –  after all you cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel until you have walked through the darkness.
 
Perhaps the most important positive is that of being grateful. Rather than dwell on the trouble it's important to recognise the many things we all have to be grateful for.
 
For me, the recent near death experience of someone extremely close to me proved a very good example. The people we met as a result of the ordeal gave us renewed faith in human beings and their many amazing qualities. I am so grateful to have witnessed the compassion, kindness and generosity of so many complete strangers, many of whom I hope will become friends.
 
Holding a ceremony to recognise what we are grateful for after a particularly tough time is a very positive way of moving forward and actively embracing the good things in life. And  a ceremony after a particularly large ordeal can recognise the pain while embracing all that we still have to be grateful for. It can be an important stepping stone to guide us deeper into our own hearts. It also helps us be 'in the present', can change moods from negative to positive and creates good vibrations that modify the reality around us.  As Oprah Winfrey said, "Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough."

"Every death is like the burning of a library,"  so said Alex Haley, the author of the Pulitzer-Prize winning book 'Roots.' That's because our stories go with us when we die, unless of course they have been written down.

'Roots: The Saga of an American Family' chronicled his ancestors' origins in Africa and their passage from slavery to freedom in America. The book created  huge interest in geneology among ethnic Americans and led to the ABC TV series, Roots, which attracted millions of viewers early in 1977.

Alex died of a sudden heart attack at the age of 70. Had he not have written
'Roots', it would have been like the burning of many libraries.

Life is so tenuous - it can disappear without warning. And that's a very hard fact to accept. Writing your own life story, or family story is a huge job but it's the best gift you can ever give your family and the generations that come after them.

A member of my mother's side of my family is currently tracing our family back to the 1600s to create a book to be shared by family members. It's a mammoth task and I'm so happy she's doing it.

Like everything in life, the hardest part is taking the first step. Once you start researching the excitement of a "find" spurs you on and on... 

But with everyone leading such busy lives it's hard to find the time to take on such a huge commitment. That's where Celebrating Life's Chapters can help. A caring and sensitive interview can help you recall stories that you would like to pass on. But it doesn't have to be an entire life story. Perhaps you may just opt for life's lessons you've learnt, that you feel are important to leave to future generations.

So don't risk burning your own library. Think about telling your story, or stories to be left as a wonderful and valuable legacy, it could be the best thing you can ever do...

Two close friends have recently lost their beloved pets. Losing an animal is
like losing a member of the family - the loss is huge and it's important to
mourn their loss. 

A memorial service embraces the grieving process, acknowledges a special
relationship with a pet and offers comfort to those that have loved and lost. 
 
These are just some of the words I think help in the healing
process...

Don't  think of her as gone away-
her journey’s just begun
life holds many
facets
the Earth is only one.
Just think of her as resting
from the
sorrows and the tears
in a place of warmth and comfort
where there are no
days and years.
 

Think how she must be wishing
that we could know today
how nothing but our
sadness
can really pass away.
And think of her as living
In the hearts
of those she touched
For nothing loved is ever lost-
And she was loved so
much.