Forever Stories

Have you ever thought, “What happens if I don’t write my life story?” Maybe you haven’t. But now that you are thinking about it, you probably have memories and experiences that your children and grandchildren don’t know anything about. Wouldn’t it be a shame if they couldn’t hear these? Wouldn’t it be great if you could have them written down in a book so they are always remembered? I’m sure you grew up in a different time, and wouldn’t it be great to tell your stories about how much has changed in the world? Wouldn’t it be great to share not only your family history and your legacy, but also your wisdom? We certainly feel they deserve to be preserved rather than forgotten.

Perhaps it isn’t you who has thought about writing your life story. It may be that loved ones are telling you that you have some great stories to share, but you don’t know how to write them. It’s highly possible you could write them but aren’t inclined to do so. Life gets busy, right? It may even be that you just don’t think your life story is worth writing. I hear that all too often, but I disagree. We think everyone has a great story, especially one to be treasured by your loved ones, family, and friends.

In simple terms, preserving your stories matters because they are gone in the wind if you don’t. When my dear grandfather was in his final weeks, he telephoned me from Arizona once a week to tell me important family history. He recognised that he needed to pass down the information, the stories of our ancestors, before it was too late – just as his father had done for him. Sadly, I was a twenty-two-year-old with “more important” things to do than to take note of our rich American history. Now, I have forgotten all that he told me.

This is why I started Forever Stories with my wife, with my mission to spend the rest of my days capturing and writing other people’s life stories – so those are not lost, not forgotten.

The good news is that you don’t need to be a writer. And your mum, dad or other relatives don’t need to be writers either. That’s where Forever Stories comes in. We interview you to capture your stories before writing them and publishing them in bespoke hardback books complete with photographs.

Just imagine future generations reaching for your life story on a bookshelf and turning the pages to discover who you were, the challenges and joy you lived through, and the legacy you left behind. That’s why it’s important to preserve stories. So your loved ones can learn from you.

In the six years I have been writing my clients’ life stories, I have heard so many times how valuable those stories have been. One client retraced her mother’s footsteps recently on a trip to Edinburgh, where her mother had attended university in the 1950s. Without her mother’s autobiography to hand, she wouldn’t have known where she stayed, where she went to dances, or where she studied. Another client has told me that he finds comfort in picking up his father’s life story to read when he misses him. He can’t wait to share it with his daughter when she is older. As if those reasons aren’t enough, there is another great value in the process of preserving life stories … Yes, the ultimate beneficiaries are future generations, but the process allows the subject to reflect on all they have achieved and enjoyed throughout their fruitful life.

We all face challenges in life, but my experience is that most people reflect on their lives with amazement at how they fit in all they did. That’s rewarding. A recent Forever Stories client summed this up perfectly: “Just received my book today and am utterly delighted with it. Writing it with Julian was such fun – he is so easy to talk to; it also actually provided a chance to reflect on my life – so often we are always “in the moment”, but the creation of the book provides a valuable chance to evaluate your life in the round – that is what I really took from the whole experience. To anyone considering it – do it; you won’t regret it.”

How to Start Today:

See our prices at: https://foreverstories.co.uk/#pricing

Please email Julian Coles at info@foreverstories.co.uk or telephone him on 07508 103 714