4 Reasons to Give the Gift of Story

Yes, she’s your mother, maybe your grandmother, or another woman to whom you felt like a daughter or a son. Have you ever actually stopped to think about whom she really is as an individual, as a woman unto herself? What aspect of her being, what quality, action, or anecdote could you draw upon to bring the essence of her character to light in a short memoir, a bio-vignette, which would give someone reading your story a pretty good idea of what she is like as seen through your eyes?

At times she is mysterious, other times transparent. But of this you can be sure, she’s not the same woman to anyone other than you. For our purposes here, we’re not going to get philosophical, and we’ll leave the psychoanalysis to the docs. Her character is multifaceted, her inner make up complex, but for you there are certain aspects of her spirit that stand out, those qualities through which her character comes to life.

What do you most remember about her and want others to know about her? What significant parts of her character seem to be hers and hers alone?  Seize that little gem you’ve conjured up in your mind’s eye. Take hold of it, round it out, and polish it as you develop it into a true story that captures her character.    

To capture the essence of the character of your mother can be daunting, but another way to think of it is that this is your opportunity to let her know you find it valuable to take the time to look at her as an individual – there’s no better gift or no better way for you to honor her than to write a true tale about her.

Give the Gift of Story to preserve the spirit of a woman you want remembered for generations to come. How will your great grandchildren get a glimpse of the treasures you know and feel about her if you don’t safeguard them with a bio-vignette that only you can write?

• Keep our mothers’ spirits alive. There is nothing like paying tribute to a loved one with a simple written record. A photograph captures a look at best, whereas a bio-vignette captures character and spirit. 

• Discover the secrets of women from different walks of life. Possibilities for embracing life unfold before us when we read true stories about mothers different from our own. Shared wisdom compels compassion, understanding, and unity. 

• Create catharsis. The outcome of writing a short, true story about one’s mother often results in emotional or psychological healing, when the relationship between the mother and daughter/son was at times difficult or rocky. 

• Become richer from the experience of actually writing a bio-vignette. Those of us who have embarked on this journey reach the other side more thoughtful, more knowing, and more satisfied.

Mother memoirs are:

Stimulating                                    

Enthralling

Poignant

Cathartic

Uniting 

Photograph of Jarvis Jones to compliment the memoir her daughter, Nique, wrote.

The Story Woman^TM asks daughters and sons to write mother memoir to keep spirits alive.

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