The Memories Of... book series is inspired by the tragic loss of my mom when I was six-years-old. I have absolutely no memories of her. Due to the shock of her death, I mentally blocked any memories that potentially could have stayed with me. I have wished many times over the years that someone would have written some things down for me - - things that could have helped me to remember who she was, what she loved, what she didn't love, and so much more. I especially wish someone had written down MY memories for me so that I would not have forgotten them. As I grew older, I would have known those were my own thoughts and not things someone told me.
Every time I hear of a child losing a parent, I try to recommend that family members sit down and ask the child some questions to get his/her memories down on paper. I began to search for a memory book to give as a gift. I saw that there was a need for a memory book written from the point of view of the child. This became the inspiration for these memory books.
The Memories Of... Book Series contains prompts with simple fill-in-the blanks, short answer questions, and open-ended questions. The prompts range from favorite color to funny words he/she said to best advice they've ever given and so many more. There are spaces for others to write in their memories, as well as pages to adhere photos, recipes, and even samples of their loved one's handwriting.
Each memory book adds prompts appropriate for life experiences that might have occurred during that stage of life. For example, Memories of My Mother/Father include prompts about graduating college, getting married, having children, etc.
The prompts are meant to engage the child (no matter the age), to gather memories and get them written down before they are forgotten so that they can be remembered as time goes by.
There are three versions for each parent, based on the age of child when he/she experienced the death of a parent:
Memories of My Mommy/Daddy - for a child birth through around 12 years of age.
Memories of My Mom/Dad - for a teenager or young adult.
Memories of My Mother/Father - for an adult
Other versions coming in the near future in the Memories Of... Series include for the loss of a sister/brother, son/daughter, aunt/uncle, friend, grandparent, etc. COMING SOON!
My hope is that each person who experiences the death of a parent, no matter their age, has a way to get their memories documented while they are fresh. Their personal memories will stay in their own words so that they never have to wonder who their loved one was and what their loved one meant to them. The loved one will be able to continue to live on through their child's memories.
