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Memories of Me Reviewed By Carolyn Warren of Bookpleasures.com
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Carolyn Warren
Reviewer Carolyn Warren: Carolyn is the author of Mortgage Rip-Offs and Money Savers, an Amazon bestseller and Book of the Month pick for The Washington Post (8/08). She also writes for the Christian market. Praying Through Your Pregnancy was a finalist in the 2010 ECOA Book Awards. She enjoys reading nonfiction, literary fiction, and women's mainstream novels. Follow Here To Find Out More About Carolyn and Here.


 
By Carolyn Warren
Published on June 27, 2014
 

Author: Laura Hedgecock

ISBN: 9781462114535



Author: Laura Hedgecock

ISBN: 9781462114535

 

I am a huge fan of people writing down their stories. How will future generations know about your adventures, romances, and faith if you don’t write them down? How will your great grandchildren know about the miracles God did for your family if you don’t record them? How will the simpler times and the special times be remembered by future generations?

I wish I knew more about my grandparents’ lives, but I’m grateful for what I do know. You probably feel the same way. Do you wish you knew more about how and why they came to America? Why your grandfather changed his name or joined the army while he was still underage? How your grandmother felt about getting the right to vote? 

The reason why more people don’t write their stories is because the task seems too daunting. The solution is Laura Hedgecock’s Memories of Me: A Complete Guide to Telling and Sharing the Stories of Your Life. With this handy guide, the task becomes as easy as following a cookie recipe or reading a simple road map. 

Get paper and pen – or open Word if you prefer using a computer – and get started as you go through the book, beginning with Part 2: “Keeping Track of Ideas.” Part I is “Getting Started,” which is a good introduction with tips about finding time, brainstorming, and using visual aids such as photographs and mementoes. 

I love that there are worksheets in the book with easy fill-in-the-blanks for those who aren’t up to the task of writing paragraphs. For example, on page 76 is Junior High and High School Interests with prompts to jot down your favorite subjects, study habits, leadership roles, science fair, sports, friendships, hobbies, church, helping around the house, and more. 

Another chapter I like is “Family Heirlooms” in which Hedgecock tells the story about a little wooden table that her great-grandmother made by hand in the 1800s. What heirlooms are in your family? How will future generations know about them if you don’t write it down? Hedgecock learned that the girl who made the table went on to marry a cabinet-maker who turned to the unfortunate task of making coffins for settlers who didn’t survive the brutal Wisconsin winters. Gems like that turn garage sale items into precious keepsakes. 

Other chapters many people will have fun with are family recipes, animal stories, school days, and lessons learned. One I would not have thought of is a worksheet that guides you to write about your life philosophies, such as what are your thoughts on forgiveness? 

The book is easy and fun to go through and will bring back a flood of memories as you read examples and see photographs from the author’s own family. 

The only thing I found odd is that the chapters are not numbered, and I blame the publisher for failing to include those as an easy guide. But that is a minor flaw in this excellent and essential book. Don’t hesitate to pick up a copy for everyone in your extended family

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