Writing your life story is a gift to yourself and to your family. Please click full screen to view slideshow.

1. “Write for You”
Life Stories, LLC
Kathy Evans, Author and Owner

2. Top twelve Reasons
for you (or your parents)
to write a life story
12. In a world where everything
changes, print endures.
Kathy Evans, Owner and Author of Write for You
Since 2001

3. 11. It’s the only way to time travel to the past:
YOUR past.
“...I came bursting through the side
door one day after school and found
a bunch of men sitting at the dining
room table with my dad. I sneaked
around to the kitchen and my
mother said, “Those are the Shelton
Boys.” They wanted to strike a deal
with him so he’d leave them alone,
but Dad wouldn’t do deals with
anybody, not even gangsters, and his
integrity somehow impressed them.
Bernie Shelton was a snake and
killed people on a regular basis, but
he knew my dad was an honest
sheriff and somehow he respected
that.”

4. 10. It lets your children and grandchildren
know relatives they never met.
“If Papa went into a
confectioner to buy me an
ice cream cone, he came
out with a cone for me
and another for the dirty
little boy on the street
corner selling
newspapers.”

5. 9. People can go on trips with you
long after you’re home.
“‘Until you discard all labels and
preconditioning, India will not
reveal herself...Look beyond the
poverty, the heat, and the dust to
the spirit of the people. What is it
that has enabled them to endure
when so many other civilizations
have crumbled?’ --Indira Gandhi
This wonderful quote should be
given to each and every traveler
who visits India, or any part of
the world in its vicinity. Had I
read it before arriving, it would
not have taken me so long to
understand and accept what I
was experiencing...”

6. 8. It is an act of generosity toward the future.

7. 7. It’s a chance to share old family recipes.
“I learned a valuable thing about refrigeration
from my pilot on the bombing missions we flew
from Tinian: If you have rations you’d like to
eat chilled, like canned peaches, you just take
them up with you, and when you get back, they
will be as cool as can be. Quite refreshing when
you’re living in the tropics.”

8. 6. It connects your family with
where they came from.

9. 5. It brings important photos, stories, articles,
and documents into one place.
“... If anybody would kiss the ground out of patriotism it would be
my mother. She did not appreciate antiques. She had started a new
life in America and everything had to be new. Mom often wore
slacks when I was older and she had modern ideas. She was kind
and caring and outspoken, and everyone loved her. My parents
were not outwardly affectionate, but I think they had a great
relationship.”

10. 4. It allows you to share what you value.
“Charlie served his
country without
question, and all the
while I worried. I cry
easily anyway, and if
you look at his little
minesweeper boat you
can see it was no
protection at all. I
knew his chances of
making it through the
War safely were very
slim.”

11. 3. It can be instructive.
“...I went down to introduce myself to the
men. They fell out in squad formation, three
lines, and I stood in front. It was September
24, 1945. I was 22, brand new to the 2nd
Armored Division and to combat, and
suddenly I was in command. Some of these
men had gone through North Africa, Sicily,
England, and onto the Continent right after
D-Day. All battle-hardened and seasoned
soldiers, and I was completely green.
I looked up and down the lines, took a deep
breath and said, “My name is Lieutenant
Munie and I’m your new platoon commander.
Now let’s have a moment of silence while we
all ask ourselves who gives a damn.”

12. 2. If you don’t tell your story, no one else will.
No one else CAN.
“‘Gammy’ was a Scotch Baptist, short and feisty. When I was
very young she regularly dragged me with her to her storefront
church near the Vandeventer train station, right around the
corner between a pawn shop and a mattress shop. They had
folding chairs but people didn’t use them much because they
were jumping to their feet all the time. The minister hollered at
the top of his lungs, “We are all sinners!” or “We do not
deserve the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ!” or “Jesus is ready
for you, but are you ready for Jesus?” The people jumped up
and shouted, “Yes Lord!” and “Amen!” As a child I preferred
the Holy Rollers, maybe because of the banjo and drums, and
the shouting just went along with it. I was in awe of their
passion and energy, and I thrived on the music. Christianity
has so many different paths, but give me the shoutin’ over the

13. 1. Truth can be more compelling than fiction.
“...We were supposed to have a week of
rest, but as it turned out, we stayed only
a couple of days. I spent my birthday on
guard duty, walking around alone all
night with my loaded rifle and dreaming
of home.That was my single most
homesick moment of the whole War.
Don’t tell the other guys, but I cried.”

14. Bonus: Because you get to help
name it.