This month, I encourage each of you to publish at least one storybook so that you can experience the first “magic moment” of discovering special memories through your photos and stories.  The next “magic moment” you will experience will be when you receive your storybook and that feeling when you hold it in your hands and look at each of the pages (over and over again).  Storybooking is truly a heartwarming celebration of you and your family. 

STORYBOOKING TIPS 1.  Know your audience.  Begin by writing a “letter” to that person. Keep it short and sweet.      2.  Narrow your vision.  How do you eat a pizza pie?  Think “bite size” and one bite at a time.  Keep in mind that you can always write several books for different periods of one’s life.    3.  Start talking about your ideas.  Highlight what appeals to you.  By sharing your story ideas, you are commited.    4.  Sprinkle with humor and conversation.  It’s not always easy to remember specific names, dates and places (past or present).  The big picture is the STORY.  Describe the fun things.  We all love to hear what he or she said.   5.  Close with a favorite quote.  A quote, poem or your own words of love all make great endings.

 

 

Last week, I sent out a Father’s Day email and received an overwhelming positive response to my tribute to my dad and my husband.  Since some of you did not receive this email message, I am posting a copy of it on my blog (as requested by many). 

So here is it:

I wish to say Happy Father’s Day to all dads, papas, padres, appas and like-dads (in all languages) who find ways to bond with a child.  From changing diapers, bathing, and dressing to cuddling, playing games and participating in daily routines like reading bed time stories.  I appreciate my dad for everything that he has sacrificed and done for both me and my younger brother.  I am grateful that he is healthy and well so that we can still have our bonding time. 

I would also like to honor my husband, Paul.  Although our children are not here with us, I know deep in my heart that he would have been a great daddy to Alyssa, Kaitlyn and Shaun.  I say this not because I think he is a great man and a beautiful person, but because he has shown great love during the little time we had with them.  I shall share just one example: Kaitlyn’s first bath.

We were in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) when Kaitlyn received her first bath.  It was shortly after her heart had stopped beating and the nurse turned off all her monitors.  Our baby girl had spent 23 days in the NICU and did not get to go home with us. I cried not because of grief to have lost another child, but rather, for joy to watch my husband remove the lines, tapes and tubings out from our daughter and started giving her a ”bath” with a tiny cloth.  He was talking gently to her at the same time. I do not remember what he said exactly, but I will always vividly remember how peaceful they both looked. 

From that moment on, I am forever and deeply moved when I see a father bond with a child (no matter how small the act).  ”In this life, we cannot always do great things.  But we can do small things with great love.” -Mother Teresa (1910-1997).  Here’s to all dads and like-dads (near and far) who do small things with great love! 

Sitting down to write your own story can be a daunting task. That’s why Heritage Makers has created our new Voyages to the Interior template collection. This set of templates was inspired by the words of author and essayist Christina Baldwin: “Journal writing is a voyage to the interior.”These templates come with writing instructions, suggestions and tips to help you generate ideas, organize your thoughts, and get them down on paper.

• “The Live I’ve Lived” (life story)
• “The Love I’ve Known” (love story)
• “A New Story Begins” (expecting a baby)
• “Our Family’s Roots” (past generations)
• “What It means to Be a [Jones]” (family book)
• “Before I Was Your Mother” (girl’s coming of age story)

Premature birth is the leading cause of newborn death and many life long disabilities. It has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, endangering the lives of more than a million babies every year. And it is growing at an alarming rate. As a mother of 3 angels, I know first-hand the emotional and economic impact associated with prematurity. I can only dream of a future with healthy babies and children.

As a genetic counselor, I was already dedicated to the mission of the March of Dimes and as a grieving parent, I wanted to do something MORE with purpose and meaning. So in 2006, I registered to participate in WalkAmerica, March of Dimes’ largest fundraising event under the walking name: Team Aly-Kate, in loving memory of my girls, Alyssa and Kaitlyn. I am blessed to have had my good friend Joy walk with me at Griffith Park in Los Angeles, CA for my first experience and together we walked 5.5 miles in an hour and 45 minutes.

Last year, my husband Paul, cousin Rosanne and friends Jeff and Maricel joined Team Aly-Kate. And together we proudly walked at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, CA. We liked it so much at this location that I decided that I would sign up for all future walks at this same site. This year, WalkAmerica has been appropriately renamed March for Babies. The new name makes a clear connection to what the March of Dimes is all about.

Team Aly-Kate 2008 included myself, Joy, Paul, Rosanne, Jeff and Maricel as well as first-time walkers: Jeni, Rochelle and Margy. We all survived the record-breaking heat of 95 degrees on April 27, 2008. Even my little niece Mikayla (7mo), with the help of her mommy of course, “walked” for Team Aly-Kate in Jacksonville, FL. The outpouring of support for Team Aly-kate is heartwarming and deeply appreciated!

I will continue to be dedicated to help raise funds and awareness about the problem of premature birth, birth defects and infant mortality. I sincerely appreciate the generous support from all my sponsors. Bless them all for their compassion and generosity! I look forward to others joining me at Fashion Island, Newport Beach, CA next year!

I love my nephews, Ryan (5 y.o.) and Nathan (2 y.o) dearly and saddened that I do not have the opportunity to see them daily. Being 350 miles away from them makes it difficult to make frequent visits. I am my brother’s only sibling and want both his boys to know who I am and how much I love them.

Because my sister-in-law is an avid reader and loves books, the boys have also taken a interest in reading as well (even at such a young age). What a great idea to create a storybook not only to express my love for them, but also to have a personalized book for them to read and share. Besides, what child does not like to see a picture of themselves?

The first storybook was made a year ago in a simple “A-B-C’s” pictorial format to help Ryan use it as a simple tool to teach his baby brother Nathan the alphabet. I used pictures of themselves and their cousins (from their mommy’side of the family). The title page of the book contains a brief letter to Ry and Nate (individually) and pictures of them with me and my husband, Paul. Copies of the book were sent to Ryan and Nathan as well as my parents.

I knew that this small 7 X 5 storybook would be a great personal gift, however, I did not realize that it would make a positive impact on the boys. Ryan loves sharing his book with others, Nathan recognizes who his Auntie Arlyn and Uncle Paul are and my parents love showing off their grandsons pictures! This inspired me to create more storybooks for them.

The second storybook is about my brother before he became their daddy. It has many pictures and “fun facts” of my brother (from baby to present) throughout the many stages in his life. It highlights special and funny moments as remembered by me and my mom. My motivation for the book is to teach my nephews an appreciation for their daddy’s journey through life (before they were born) and to respect and look up to their daddy as their hero.

I hope that that above comments have inspired you. Remember that when you do things from the heart to make others feel important and respected, it can have a huge impact on your life.