Shoeboxes of photos

Our Lives are a Collection of Stories-
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 Our lives are a collection of stories – A library of our own books

– Nathaniel Carson

I have a shoebox full of old photographs in my closet, photographs of my parents in their youth and of their parents in the early part of the century. I know who they are, as my mother had me write all of the names on the back of the photos when she passed them to me. My favorite photograph is a picture of my grandmother and her sister standing in front of the family fishing boat. I imagine that my grandmother could tell me a wonderful story about that photograph, about her relationship with her sister and about life growing up in a fishing village… but unfortunately, I won’t hear that story. My grandmother passed away when I was 13. Most of her stories were never written down……. And now that so much time has passed,  who really remembers them? If I don’t know them, how will my children?
Our family stories are so precious to us, yet we do almost nothing to preserve them. We pass down those old photographs, but do we really know the stories behind them? Now that we have digital cameras, we take hundreds of photos, only to keep them in the digital graveyard we call a hard drive.
At one time, family stories would be passed down while sitting at the dinner table or while doing the dishes. Families took the time to really talk to each other…… they took the time to reminisce. Now we find ourselves working overtime, playing taxi, and generally rushing through the day.
It isn’t until something tragic happens that we stop and really think about those we love. .. and we never stop to think that other people feel the same way about us… Think about it… do you realize that how much love you feel for your parents is the same way your children feel about you? That is powerful. THAT is what life is about. It isn’t about red sweater you are buying your dad for Christmas. It is not about the new Ipod  your teenager wants….. it is about connecting with your family and loved ones. You do that through story…….
By sharing stories, you strengthen your family roots, you givse a sence of belonging. You share the love that you feel towards each other, you remember…..
Although, it would be wonderful to have a life story of your parents and other family members……. Those are not the only stories that need to be preserved….. Your life story, your love story, the birth of a child, the winning homerun your child hit, your first car, your first kiss……. They are all so very important.
This is why I do what I do. I am a Heritage Maker. I help strengthen families. I help people preserve their past to remember in the future. I have seen first hand how stories bring families together. 

•       The power of story is a gift. When an elderly woman writes her story and 23 copies are purchased by her family……………….

•       Can you just imagine the love she feels?

•       When an expectant mom writes a story to her yet to be born daughter………………..

•       Can you even imagine how that daughter will feel when she reads it??

•       Or a wife, who after 60 years of marriage starts her story with the words….

•       “The most amazing love story”?

How about the child who sees themselves in a book and now remembers the stories of baking cookies?
While I was working with a client on his life story, he called his son. He did not have a strong relationship with his son, and hadn’t for the past 30 years. He asked his son about some pictures that he had come across…….. soon they were reminiscing. This client even spoke with his daughter in law for an hour on the phone.. Someone whom he had only brief conversations with… This started two months before Christmas last year. Three days after Christmas, his son suffered a major heart attack. My client received a phone call that day. He is convinced that if it wasn’t for that book he may have never received a call.
Even Oprah believes that every story deserves a book of its own. She should know. She has her own Heritage Makers Storybook. In fact, she loves our product so much, we are now featured as one of her “all time favorites”. Her subscribers started receiving their O magazines yesterday. When you get yours…… look to page 93.
As a Heritage Maker, I am here to help you every step of the way. I can get all of your photos scanned, show you how to use our online system, custom design your storybooks or even interview you or your loved one to preserve a life story.
I will be here late after the meetings today to help you all get started on preserving your family stories.




Kellie Amero Stobie
Personal Publishing Consultant
Heritage Makers Director
727.992.8007

A photo without a story is a memory lost – Dr. Sharon Murdock