Last week I was asked by one of my
children what I wanted for Mother’s Day. My answers have varied over the years
and the older I get the more sentimental I seem to be. Maybe it is because I
can no longer ask the question of my own Mom. Thankfully, I am blessed to have
my Mother-in- Love still with us at 97 years old. Having been a mother for some 38 years I have
plenty of meaningful gifts and memories from the trinkets and cards made when
my children were young to the many times I have spent Mother’s Day weekends at
graduation ceremonies.
One year my youngest daughter gave
me a gift that touched me deeper than she probably even realized. It wasn’t
jewelry, flowers, or a day at the spa — although, let's be honest, I wouldn’t
have said no to any of that. 😂
Instead, she gave me something far
more precious: a journal called “My Mother’s Life,” filled with almost
200 questions about my memories, my childhood, my dreams, and the experiences
that shaped me.
At first, I smiled, thinking, Wow...
she really wants to know me — not just the ‘Mom’ version she’s always known,
but the full story. Then, as I started flipping through the pages, that
warm feeling shifted into something else.
Overwhelm.
Page after page after page...
almost 200 questions. Where would I even begin? How long would this take? Would
the answers even capture what really matters? And then came the deeper question
that tugged at my heart: "If I don’t take the time to tell my story...
who will?"
As mothers, grandmothers, bonus
moms, aunties, and mentors, we carry generations of wisdom inside of us. We’ve
lived through seasons that tested our faith, built our resilience, shaped our
character. And so often, those lessons stay hidden — locked away inside of us —
because we get busy. Or because we think, "No one really needs to hear
all of this."
But let me tell you something: They
do.
Your story is the bridge
between your past and their future. It’s the roadmap your children and
grandchildren didn’t even know they needed. It’s the living legacy that
says, "You come from strength. You come from faith. You come from hope
that refused to die." When we take the time to teach what life taught
us, we don’t just bless the next generation. We anchor them. We show them that
life is survivable, even in the messy middle. We remind them that who they are
is built on the courage of who came before. Your story isn’t just your story. It’s
their inheritance.
Now, if you’re anything like me,
after the emotional part comes the fear part. Writing it all down? Publishing
it? That’s where the doubts start whispering. "I’m not a real
writer."
"What if I mess it up?" "Who’s going to care about what I
have to say?" "I don’t even know where to start." I hear
you. Believe me, I do.
We’re not afraid of our memories. We’re
afraid of whether we can do them justice.
We’re afraid of being judged. We’re afraid that once we put it out there, it
won’t be “good enough.” But here’s the truth no one tells you: You are the only
person who can tell your story the way it needs to be told.
And your good enough is more than enough. You don’t have to write a
400-page autobiography.
You don’t need to have all the fancy publishing tools. You just need to start. With
your heart.
With your truth. With the desire to give a gift that will outlast you.
When I looked at that “My Mother’s
Life” journal, I realized something: It’s a beautiful gesture — but answering
200 random questions isn’t what will keep my story alive for generations.
What will? Writing my story
intentionally. Telling the parts that matter most — the lessons, the victories,
the heartbreaks that taught me something worth passing on. Creating something
my daughter, her children, and their children can cherish... not just as a
keepsake, but as a living, breathing connection to who I was and the
life I lived. And it doesn’t have to take years.
It doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
I designed the Quickstart Ebook
Creation Course for people just like you (and me) — people who know their story
matters but need a simple way to get it out of their head and onto paper.
In just 15 days, you’ll have a finished short ebook or legacy story — something
real, something powerful, something yours.
✅ No overwhelm.
✅
No publishing drama.
✅
Just step-by-step guidance to get it DONE.
Because the best gifts we can leave
behind aren't things you wear or drive. They're the words that breathe life
into generations. The lessons that whisper, “You are stronger than you
think.”
The stories that say, “You’re never walking alone.”
Will you teach it forward this
year? Don’t let fear rob your family of the legacy only you can leave. Let’s
write your story — and teach what life has taught you.
👉🏽Click here
to join the Quickstart Ebook Creation Course!
Happy Mother’s Day to every woman
who’s ever loved, led, and left a mark.
Blessings,
Dr. Janice R. Love
Pearls Perfected Institute
