Precious Words

Home / Blog / OCTOBER | The Little Things The Little Things We Never Want to Forget Every life holds lessons, memories and moments worth preserving. OCtober | The Little Things Have you ever caught yourself thinking about a moment from your childhood that youhaven’t thought about in years?Perhaps it’s the smell of something cooking in your mother’s kitchen. The sound of yourfather coming home from work. An afternoon spent playing with friends on your street. Afamily gathering where everyone seemed to be talking at once.Maybe it’s a favourite teacher who believed in you, a neighbour who always looked out foryour family, or a simple tradition that made every holiday feel special.There’s a good chance that, at the time, you never imagined these moments wouldbecome treasured memories.They were simply part of life.Yet, years later, those are often the memories that bring us back to the people, places, andexperiences that helped shape us. Not Every Story Has to Be Extraordinary When I talk to people about capturing their life stories, I often hear a familiar response.“I haven’t done anything particularly interesting. I’ve just lived my life.”I understand why people feel that way. We tend to measure the importance of our livesagainst big milestones: careers, accomplishments, travel, awards, and major life events.But I’ve come to believe that some of the most meaningful parts of our stories are found inthe moments we might otherwise overlook.It’s the family joke that never gets old.The Sunday dinners that brought everyone together.The sacrifices our parents made that we didn’t fully appreciate until we became parentsourselves. The friendships that carried us through difficult times.The small acts of kindness that stayed with us long after the person who offered them hadforgotten.These experiences may never make the headlines, but they help tell the story of who weare.And often, they’re the very details our families would love to know.Memories Have a Way of Connecting UsOne of the things I love most about facilitating life story workshops is watching whathappens when people begin sharing their memories.Someone describes growing up in a small town. Another remembers a similar childhood.One person talks about raising a family during challenging economic times. Someone elserecalls the sacrifices their parents made to give their children opportunities they never hadthemselves.Before long, the room is filled with recognition, laughter, questions, and conversation.We discover that although our lives have taken different paths, many of our experiencesare remarkably familiar.We have loved and lost. We’ve celebrated successes and navigated disappointments.We’ve made mistakes, learned lessons, changed direction, and carried on.And through these shared experiences, connections form.Sometimes, we even discover something new about ourselves.A memory we once dismissed as unimportant suddenly takes on a different meaning whenwe see how it influenced the person we became.That is one of the gifts of reflecting on our lives. It allows us to appreciate not only whathappened, but also how those experiences shaped us. The Stories Behind the TraditionsOctober also brings Thanksgiving to mind, a time when many families gather around atable to share a meal and enjoy one another’s company.For some, the traditions are decades old. For others, new traditions are being created withchildren and grandchildren.But how often do we stop to ask about the stories behind them?Who started the family tradition everyone looks forward to?Where did that favourite recipe come from?What was Thanksgiving like when your parents were young?What memories do your grandparents carry of family gatherings from their childhood?The answers might surprise you.Perhaps a recipe came from a grandmother who brought it with her when she immigratedto Canada. Maybe a family tradition began during a difficult period when everyone neededa reason to come together. Perhaps an old photograph reveals relatives, places, andstories that younger generations have never heard.These details give our family history depth and meaning.They turn traditions into something more than activities we repeat each year. They help usunderstand where we came from and the people who helped shape our lives.You Don’t Have to Write a Book to BeginAt Precious Words, I believe everyone has a story worth preserving.That doesn’t mean everyone needs to write a memoir or document every year of their life.Sometimes, the best place to begin is with a single memory.Write down a story about your childhood home.Describe a person who made a difference in your life. Record the story behind an old family photograph.Tell your children or grandchildren something about your younger years that they’ve neverheard before.You might be surprised by how one memory leads to another.And if you find yourself thinking that nobody would be interested, remember this: thethings that seem ordinary to you may be the very things your family treasures most.Your children may want to know what life was like before they were born. Yourgrandchildren may be curious about the music you listened to, the games you played, thework you did, or how you met the people who became so important to you.They may simply want to understand you a little better.You don’t have to have all the answers. You don’t have to remember every detail. And youcertainly don’t have to make your life sound extraordinary.You simply have to be willing to share it.A Little Time Today Can Mean So Much TomorrowAs the days grow shorter and we settle into autumn, I encourage you to make a little roomfor reflection.Look through an old photograph album. Call someone who remembers your early years.Ask a parent or grandparent about a memory you’ve never explored. Or take a few minutesto write down a story you’ve told a hundred times but never put on paper.These small steps can preserve something far more valuable than we sometimes realize.They preserve the voices, experiences, values, humour, and humanity of the people whocame before us.And they remind us that our own lives are made up of countless moments worthremembering.I feel incredibly fortunate that my journey has led me to Precious Words, where I can helppeople recognize the value of their experiences and share those stories with others. Every conversation reinforces something I believe deeply: our stories aren’t important onlybecause of what they tell us about

Home / Blog / AUGUST | Canada day My Life Isn’t Interesting Enough Every life holds lessons, memories and moments worth preserving. August | My Life Isn’t Interesting Enough It’s one of the first things I hear when people learn what I do. “My life isn’t interesting enough to write about”. “Nobody wants to hear my story”. Sometimes it’s said with a smile, sometimes with a shrug and sometimes with a quiet conviction that has likely been carried for many years. Although, I may not agree, I understand why people think this way. Many of us spend our lives focused on everyone else. We raise children, build careers, care for aging parents, support friends, volunteer in our communities and simply do what needs to be done. We don’t stop to consider that, in the process, we’ve been creating a story unlike anyone else’s. When I speak with people about preserving their life stories, not everyone chooses to take that first step. Many leave believing exactly what they believed when we spoke, that nobody would be interested in hearing their story. I always hope they’ll change their minds because every now and then, someone with that though process decides to take a leap of faith. They register for a workshop despite their doubts, they arrive on the first day a little nervous, wondering if they’ve made the right decision, they’re convinced everyone else has lived a more interesting life.  These individuals in the beginning, usually listen more than they speak but before too long, something beautiful begins to happen. I deliver a prompt, a memory is shared, someone else smiles and says, “That happened to me too” and laughter fills the room.Perhaps nother story brings a few tears, a stranger becomes a friend. Week by week, the walls begin to come down. The person who believed they had nothing worth writing about starts remembering moments they hadn’t thought about in decades. They rediscover forgotten adventures, family traditions, life lessons, unexpected joys and the challenges they never realized they had overcome.Before long, they’re no longer asking, “Who would want to hear my story”?They’re saying, “I’d forgotten about that” or “I never realized how much that experience shaped who I am”. Seeing this first hand is truly one of the greatest privileges of my work. People often think they’re joining a life story workshop to create something for their children or grandchildren. While that is certainly a wonderful gift, I’ve discovered that something even more meaningful often happens. Individuals begin giving a gift to themselves. They begin seeing their own lives through a different lens, the lens of time.They recognize strengths they had overlooked, they appreciate challenges they overcame, they celebrate moments they had dismissed as ordinary, they begin to understand that their life has mattered, not because they were famous or wealthy or accomplished extraordinary things, but because they lived it! That realization is incredibly powerful. To me, life story writing isn’t about proving your life was extraordinary.It’s about discovering that it already was. As I reflect on the many wonderful people I’ve had the privilege of meeting through Precious Words, I continue to be inspired by their resilience, humour, kindness, courage and wisdom. Every person has taught me something. Every story has reminded me that there truly is no such thing as an ordinary life. If you’ve ever found yourself thinking, “My story isn’t worth telling,” I’d like to gently offer you a different perspective. Your story isn’t valuable because it’s perfect, it’s valuable because it’s yours. No one else has lived your life. No one else has loved the people you’ve loved, faced the challenges you’ve faced, or learned the lessons you’ve learned in your exact circumstances. That alone makes your story one of a kind. Perhaps this month, you’ll take a small leap of faith, write down one memory.Share one story with someone you love, or simply begin believing that your life is worthy of being remembered. Because it is. Todd’s Story Prompt of the Month “Looking back over your life, what experience helped shape the person you are today and what did it teach you about yourself?”  Recent Posts All Post Autobiography Life Journey Life Story Precious Words Professional Writer Remembrance Senior Memoirs Storytelling July | Canada day Read More June | Every Story Matters Read More Precious Words Thoughts and insights on guided autobiography<br> preserving family history<br> and creating a lasting legacy. Start Your Story Categories Autobiography (2) Life Journey (2) Life Story (2) Precious Words (2) Professional Writer (2) Tags Biography Writing Services (2) Life Story Writer (2)

Home/Blog/July | Canada day July is one of my favourite months Every life holds lessons, memories and moments worth preserving. July | Canada day Canada Day reminds us of the incredible country we call home. Summer invites us outdoors. Families gather for backyard barbecues, weekends at the cottage, vacations, reunions, and evenings spent around the table long after the meal has ended. If you stop and think about it, some of life’s greatest stories are shared during moments like these. Someone recalls their first job. A Grandad tells the story of meeting Grandma for the first time. Grandma laughs about raising a young family when money was tight. An uncle remembers learning to drive. A family recipe suddenly comes with a story no one has ever heard before. We’ve all experienced these moments. Someone begins a sentence with, “Have I ever told you about the time…”? Suddenly, everyone is listening. As a Guided Autobiography facilitator, I have the privilege of hearing remarkable stories every week. Yet one thing continues to surprise me. The storyteller often believes their story isn’t very interesting. “It’s just my life, nobody is interested”. Sadly, I hear those words far too often. But to children, grandchildren and even complete strangers, those stories are priceless. They reveal where we came from.and remind us how resilient previous generations were. They also help us understand our families but perhaps most importantly, they help us understand and truly appreciate ourselves as we look at our lives retrospectively.. This summer, I’d like to offer you a simple challenge. Askat least one deep and meaningful question. Instead of talking about the weather, ask your mother what she remembers about her first home, ask your father what receiving his first paycheque felt like, ask Grandma about the happiest day of her childhood. ask Grandpa what advice he would give his twenty year old self. Then do something even more important. Listen as intently as you possibly can. The older I get, the more I realize that stories are one of the greatest gifts we can give each other. They preserve memories, create understanding, strengthen relationships, and remind us that every life has meaning. When I left the automotive industry after nearly forty years, I had no idea where life would lead me. Today, I feel incredibly fortunate that it led me here, to helping people preserve the stories that might otherwise be forgotten. During this beautiful Canadian summer, I hope you’ll make time to create new memories but don’t forget to preserve the old ones, one conversation, one question, one story at a time because someday, someone will wish they had asked one more question. Todd’s Story Prompt of the Month “Who was the greatest storyteller in your family, and what is one story they told that you’ll never forget?”  Recent Posts All Post Autobiography Life Journey Life Story Precious Words Professional Writer Remembrance Senior Memoirs Storytelling July | Canada day Read More Every Story Matters Read More Precious Words Thoughts and insights on guided autobiography<br> preserving family history<br> and creating a lasting legacy. Start Your Story Categories Autobiography (2) Life Journey (2) Life Story (2) Precious Words (2) Professional Writer (2) Tags Biography Writing Services (2) Life Story Writer (2)

Home/Blog/June | Every Story Matters Every Story Matters Every life has a story worth telling. Join me as I share reflections on preserving memories, celebrating lives well lived, and creating legacies that will inspire generations to come. June | Every Story Matters As we celebrate Seniors Month, it seems fitting to begin this blog by sharing a little about myself and how I found my way to this work that has become such an important part of my life. My fascination with stories began long before Precious Words existed.  As a young boy, I spent many wonderful days visiting my grandparents in the small town of Renfrew, Ontario. They loved to entertain, and it seemed there was always company stopping by. Whenever guests gathered around the dining table or in the living room, I found myself captivated by my grandfather. He was an incredible storyteller. I would sit quietly and watch as people hung on every word. They laughed together, they reflected together. Sometimes they felt the sadness of a difficult memory. His stories created connection. They brought people closer. To me, ayoung boy, it seemed like magic. What fascinated me wasn’t just the stories themselves. It was the impact they had on the people listening. Without realizing it, those moments planted a seed that would stay with me for the rest of my life. I have always been curious about people’s stories. I am inspired and educated by the experiences of those who have endured and enjoyed more days of life than I have. Every person I meet has lived through challenges, celebrations, losses, triumphsand lessons that have shaped who they are today. There is wisdom in those experiences, and I have always felt drawn to it. For nearly forty years, I worked in the automotive industry. It was a rewarding career, but after completing a contract in February 2022, I knew it was time for a change. The industry had changed significantly, particularly following the pandemic, and I was feeling burned out. When people asked me what I planned to do next, my answer was always consistent:”I don’t have a clue, but I’ll know it when I find it”. I trusted that something meaningful would reveal itself. Initially, I thought I might help people write eulogies. That idea soon evolved into helping seniors preserve their life stories. The more I learned about the process, the more I discovered the profound benefits that come from reflecting on one’s life, sharing memories and connecting with others through storytelling. Then something unexpected happened. I enrolled in a Guided Autobiography facilitator training program, largely because I thought it would be a useful credential to add to my LinkedIn profile. Three weeks into the program, I had a profound realization that changed everything. This is it! This is exactly what I am supposed to be doing! I knew then that I wanted to bring this experience to as many senior living communities and as many older adults as possible. I wanted to create spaces where people could share their stories, connect with others, reflect on their lives and preserve their memories for future generations. Today, Precious Words is the result of that journey. What I didn’t expect was how much these stories would give back to me. Every workshop participant, every memoir client and every conversation reminds me that there is no such thing as an ordinary life. Time and again, people tell me, “My life isn’t that interesting”, only to share stories of resilience, courage, humour, love, sacrifice and adventure. The truth is that every life contains moments worth remembering. As someone who is deeply spiritual, I often reflect on how fortunate I am to have found this path. I feel revitalized, energized, motivated, fulfilled and above all, blessed. It is an absolute privilege and honour to work with the generation that helped shape our communities, raise our families, and create the world we enjoy today. During Seniors Month, I encourage you to take a moment to reflect on your own story or the story of someone you love. The memories you carry may seem ordinary to you, but they are often extraordinary to those who hear them. After all, every story matters.   Todd’s Story Prompt of the Month “What’s one question you wish you had asked a parent or grandparent?” Wishing you and your family a wonderful summer filled with laughter, connection, and stories worth sharing. Recent Posts All Post Autobiography Life Journey Life Story Precious Words Professional Writer Remembrance Senior Memoirs Storytelling August | My Life Isn’t Interesting Enough Read More July | Canada day Read More June | Every Story Matters Read More Precious Words Thoughts and insights on guided autobiography<br> preserving family history<br> and creating a lasting legacy. Start Your Story Categories Autobiography (3) Life Journey (3) Life Story (3) Precious Words (3) Professional Writer (3) Tags Biography Writing Services (3) Life Story Writer (3)