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"The greatest gift is a portion of thyself."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Dear
Gifts are top of mind in December. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or say "bah-humbug" there is no escaping the relentless barrage of buy this, give that in our e-mails, newspaper ads (which outweigh actual news sections), radio jingles and mail box catalogs. Of course, SFH has special offers, too!
The question is, how do you put meaning back into the gifts you do decide upon?
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 Gift of Story
 There's no secret that sharing story is critical to healing. The hours and days immediately after a death are often spent looking through photos, gathering with family as we do for holidays, and reminiscing. Memory boards, video montages and eulogies given at a funeral are all about stories. Unless you videotape the service itself, these too can fade with time.
Writing and preserving those memories is easier than ever today! Embracing the stories behind the photos, reconstructing the important history of your loved one and discovering their values and impact on your life brings more meaning into your loss. Through sharing what you learn and create in a storybook, you have a permanent and lasting gift to yourself as well as others.
Read more on >> Giving the Gift of Story
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Memories are Timeless
 This time of year presents great pressure to give the perfect gift on a particular date. Your memories are timeless. When and how long it takes you to you write your stories is dependent on your own grief journey, what you choose to cover and the amount of time you dedicate to the process. Grief and writing both are processes, which is one reason writing is effective. What is key, however, is to decide that preserving the stories is important. Find your own pace. Choose a project that works for you. Just start remembering and writing!
Here are some publishing and gift ideas:
- Holiday memory: Find a holiday photo of old and create a retro postcard memory.
- Create an IOU. New! Pre-order a gift storybook and set a date to create your tribute storybook with the recipient. A gift of your time, support and love!
- New! Start writing today by downloading the SFH 4 week Step by Step Writing Guide
- 12 photos make a calendar! Simple, memorable, quick.
- Have a photo day. Invite a few family member to help you go though photos. Be sure to take notes on the stories that go with them!
- Digital photo frames are subtle and heartwarming gifts when you load them with your photos. Selections available from the SFH Amazon store.
Christmas Delivery order dates for print products via UPS (to your mail box!)
- Ground -- December 11
- 1 day -- December 16
- 2 day -- December 25
Holidays are about making new memories and reliving old. When this coincides with bittersweet memories of loss the feelings can make the days difficult to say the least. Nothing can bring back your loved one, but you can take control over the timeless and precious memories by preserving them, and giving yourself a gift of comfort and joy.
If you are interested in a great resource about what's normal grief, SFH suggests How to Survive Your Grief by Susan Fuller. You can also SFH last month's newsletter on >> Coping Through the Holidays
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The Gift of Story takes more preparation than making your list and checking it twice. It is portion of yourself. It is a portion of your loved one. It is the interwoven relationship of life experience. Story is the gift of spirit we so often say we want to honor during the holidays. And once created, the gift goes on forever, is welcomed and is easy to send out multiple copies!
We wish you a safe and loving December, and look forward to sharing now and into the new year. Please contact us with any questions you might have on preserving your stories.
Sincerely,
Joan Hitchens
Storybooks For Healing
If the holidays get to be overwhelming, or you are feeling depressed, lethargic, or suicidal please seek immediate help or call 911. Support is available through your local bereavement and medical organizations. Most hospice, funeral homes, and healthcare organizations have programs open to the community and are as close as a phone call. These organizations, as well as spiritual leaders and private practice professionals can help or provide you qualified assistance in overcoming your loss. |
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Writing Guide
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| Ready to preserve your loved one's story? Help is here...
The Storybooks For Healing Start to Finish Guide to Discover, Publish and Share Your Loved One's Life Story
Our Price: $9.95 Learn more >> |
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Amazon Gifts
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We have some reading and gift suggestions for you in the SFH Amazon Store.From books to scanners, cameras and digital frames, there are plenty of ways to share memories.
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Publishing
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Storybooks
Postcards
Note Cards
Calendars
All customized by you!
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Connect:
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| | | Storybooks For Healing | Facebook | My Storybook Publisher | Twitter |
About the Storybooks For Healing programStorybooks For Healing is a bereavement program which assists individuals in making meaning of their grief and loss using a guided writing program. Together in small support groups, participants discover, write and discuss their loss journey, then are encouraged to create a special tribute storybook to share with family and friends.About the SFH Publishing CenterCreating books, cards and other gifts of memories in My Storybooks Publisher is the second step of the two-part bereavement program. Designed especially for capturing both stories and photos of a loved ones after loss, this web-based program makes it easy to create and publish your own custom story projects based on the SFH Grief Reflection process. My Storybook Publisher is available to anyone wishing to create a beautiful hardbound custom books and photo gifts to commemorate their loved one and does not require attending a Storybooks for Healing program.Storybooks for Healing and its entities provide this site as an educational and peer informational community and is not engaged in rendering psychological, financial, legal or other professional services. If expert assistance is needed, the services of a competent professional should be sought.
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