So as of today we are all fully vaccinated and so are my parents and that means that my parents are on the way to my house right now so I can see them in person for the first time since 2019. And I am both INCREDIBLY HAPPY and also entirely overwhelmed because I haven’t really been around real people for more than a few hours in over a year and I think I’ve forgotten what it’s like to be around anyone other than Victor and Hailey. But there’s no one I’d rather be with than my parents and I’m sure it will all be fine and having them here will be the best Mother’s Day present ever.
The second best Mother’s Day present though (and yes, this part is an ad but I only do ads once or twice a year and only for places I honestly love so you should keep reading) is a subscription to StoryWorth. Do you know about StoryWorth? Because it’s amazing and I’ve bought it for so many of my family members. Also, if you’ve waited until the last minute to get a Mother’s Day present this in perfect because you can buy it the day of and it gets there in time.
Here’s how it works: Once a week StoryWorth emails your loved one a question you’ve probably never thought to ask them (you can help pick the questions from a lot of great suggestions), and then they just reply to the email with their answer, and at the end of the year all of their stories are bound together in a lovely keepsake book. You also get to see each email as they respond, which is sort of wonderful because it gives you fantastic things to talk about with them on the phone other than just what you’ve watched on tv.
I bought a subscription for my mom and my dad and they both really loved it, but honestly I’m not sure that they loved it as much as my sister and I did because the family stories they shared were so wonderful that we each bought copies of the books ourselves.
For real, I can not recommend this enough I wish I could go back in time to give this to my grandparents because I would have loved to read their stories.
Just click here for details or to get started. There’s also a FAQ at the bottom of the page that answers all your questions.
And now, to clean the shit out of my house.
Happy you are all vaccinated. I get shot 1 next week. Our numbers in Nova Scotia have shot up this week to the worst they have been. But I believe better days are ahead.
@WriterDann
I’m so happy for you! I’m going to finally be able to see my mom and sisters in July and I cry every time I think about it! Enjoy the hugs!
I did this for my parents and it was awesome. I also wish I could have done it with my grandparents. But now, I am going to use it to connect with a half-sister I just found. (I was adopted as a baby). Can’t wait to see what we find out about one another. 🙂
I’m fully vaccinated and so is my son. He’s coming here to visit for the weekend or longer. Haven’t seen him in two years! Best Mother’s Day gift EVER!!!
Hugging your parents will be great! I got to hug my Mom and sister last week and will visit my daughter on the West Coast in a couple weeks after she’s fully vaccinated. Can’t wait!
I enjoyed the Fantastic Strangelings chat last night! You are fabulous, Jenny!
My husband wrote a 2-volume book from StoryWorth for his daughters which they loved. I wrote one documenting our self-isolation during the pandemic for the grocer who delivered food to us every week for a year – he was thoroughly appreciative that I kept notes throughout that time period about his kindness to us. Also writing a multi-volume collection of stories for my son (shhh … it’s still a secret).
StoryWorth is an awesome gift that I would not have known about if you hadn’t mentioned it in your Blog several years ago. Thank you, Jenny.
Going to a backyard grill out on Saturday. All family members, all fully vaccinated. I’m going to be hugging a lot of people!
Yay!
I am so happy for you and yours! Hug them all extra tight! I just got my last shot and am finally able to go visit my family as well, it will be just about 18 months since I have seen them. Crying happy tears just thinking about it.
I hugged my mom who is a cancer survivor who ended treatment successfully the year before the pandemic. I honestly can say it was the best day of my life!
Vaccine side effects are worth the trouble if you can hug your loved ones without fear of the virus.
I hope you have a wonderful day with them!
I truly believe StoryWorth saved my 94-year-old father’s life during the pandemic. Instead o feeling completely isolated, he happily spent hours every week writing his essay and finding photos. A goal and a purpose, which is just what he needed.
We were all vaccinated in time for Easter (just out of sheer luck) and were able to get together with my parents for the first time since Christmas 2019, even though they literally live around the corner from me. I had a breakdown at Christmas because we couldn’t open presents together. I’d been able to talk to them through the glass storm door but that’s it so I kinda know how you feel.
My kids have two surviving great-grandparents, their mother’s mother’s mother and their father’s father’s father. The first time you recommended StoryWorth, I bought it for both of them. We got a year of stories, a few that were already family legend that we wanted written down forever and many that we’d never heard before and would never think to ask about. Other family members read the books at the end and were blown away. I’m not being paid, and I second your endorsement of StoryWorth wholeheartedly.
Quick tip: if your storyteller isn’t great with email, there is an option for them to answer by phone and have their story transcribed. If they’re also not great on the phone, sit with them (or get someone they trust, if you can’t be there yourself) and listen to their story while recording it on your phone or with a video camera so you can write it down later. It’s better than taking notes or trying to paraphrase what you can remember.
PS: My parents are also coming this weekend, and I am also feeling excited and anxious about having company and seeing family for the first time in a year. Thank you, vaccines!
My brother and I bought StoryWorth for our parents for Hanukkah 2019, in part because you wrote about it, and it’s been fantastic. My mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s shortly before that, so this has been a wonderful way for her to exercise her mind remembering and also a way to get those stories and family history written down before they may be forgotten. My parents are fully vaxxed, and my brother and I will be in a few days, so we are definitely looking forward to some time together.
Sorry, going to have to beg to differ on the “best Mother’s Day gift”. Here’s why: My mom just had her 84th birthday, and for her main present I sent her one of my 3 signed copies of Broken (from the 3 book tour stops I ‘attended’). She’d never heard of you (except for my raving about you all the time), and she LOVED LOVED LOVED the book. I have not heard her so happy or full of laughter in ages (over the phone; she’s 1500 miles away). So immediately on hearing her happiness, for Mother’s Day I sent her copies of your first 2 books, which arrived yesterday. She is beyond delighted, and I am slightly jealous that she gets to experience so much of your talent, humor, and insight for the first time and all at once. The next time you do a virtual book tour, I am going to make sure to get her a spot so she can experience the amazingness that is you “in person”. So just know that YOUR BOOKS are the best Mother’s Day present, at least for my normally depressed & anxious mom. Thank you.
I bought StoryWorth for my husband’s mom and have pre-ordered books for all three of her kids. She is not really providing a lot of information (as in all her answers are super short) but I figure I can edit everything, so I’m going to sit down with her and ask a lot more follow-up questions so we can flesh out some of what she’s talking about. She had a really bad health scare a few years ago. I wish this had been around for my mom.
I’ve wanted to do Storyworth for years but my mom is so technologically challenged & can barely open emails, much less navigate to a website & submit something. And we live 4 hours apart, so I can’t really help. So happy you get to do it with your parents!
I’m so happy for you! My mom arrives tomorrow and my daughter graduates from college Saturday. Two things I never thought I’d experience. My mom can’t attend the ceremony (two guests only), but she can stream it and we’ll be spending Mother’s day with her.
YAAAYYY for seeing your parents after so long!! That must be such a relief, my goodness. My mom just got home after being in the hospital/rehab for a little over two weeks due to knee replacement surgery, I can’t even imagine not seeing her in person for over a year!
I’ve seen you post about StoryWorth before and it’s such a wonderful awesome idea but I’ve never been able to afford it. For those of us who can’t afford the professional fancy version, other great ideas are to simply ask the person to write about random memories or record a conversation about them. I have multiple cassette tapes filled with conversations I’ve had with my mom about everything from how she met my dad to the time she ran away with a friend to the mountains. It’s not as fancy or pretty but the memories will be cherished!
Sounds like you are about to have a wonderful weekend! Happy Mother’s Day!
Sadly, we won’t be ready for Mother’s Day, but soon after. I can’t wait for the approval for kids 12 to 15. As soon as it’s allowed my kiddo WILL be getting hers, because she wants to not because she’s being forced. Now my son, who’s 9, is really sad he won’t be able to get his vax. Enjoy your weekend.
So happy for you! It’s been a long time coming for you and your family. Here in Canada we’re are alot behind in our vaccination roll out, but we are getting there. I’m lucky as I live with my hubs and adult kids and after about a 6 month break, have been able to work at my work place. The four of us are relatively healthy, so are able to come and go as we please within our community, provincial, and federal guidelines. But, I finally get my first shot on the 19th of this month. My hubs also gets his shot this month, so we are close! The kids are now eligible so we just have to wait until they can book an appointment.
Oh Happy Happy…..you will be fine and have a great time! Hip Hip
I bought this for my mom last year for Mother’s Day so hers is almost finished. I wish I’d been able to do it for my dad because he had a lot of stories! My in-laws are coming to stay with us next month since we’re all vaxxed and I’m still a little bit freaked out about having other people in the house. Like…we’re all just going to breathe on each other?
That’s great everyone got vaccinated! BUT many folks forget it’s not til 2 weeks AFTER receiving your last shot your body’s immune system has time to reach its full antibody potential. So many heartbreaking stories out there of folks not waiting 2 weeks after their last shot who caught COVID-19 and died.
I’m so, so happy for you. I know how hard it is to be away from family. You will be okay and I can’t wait for you to share the funny and happy times y’all had together. You are an amazing woman, my dear, and you deserve all the love and support from all of us in your tribe, and yes, you have many, lol. I am fully vaccinated as well and it feels weird now that things are opening up and running again, so it’s a little unsettling to me too, although I am not an introvert I became quite comfy in PJs and having my squirrels visit me daily. Again, I’m extremely happy for you and can’t wait to hear your funny and heartfelt stories.
I’m so happy that you will have such a special family reunion this weekend. Happy Mother’s Day!
YAHOOOOOOO! I’m so happy for you! I’m fully vaccinated, too, & although I’ve >seen< my sister in the past year, I got to HUG her on Wednesday, which also happened to be her birthday.
We got this for my husband’s grandfather who turned 90 last June so we get to see his responses in another month and I can’t wait! It’s such an amazing gift to have all those stories that might be lost otherwise.
Testify! Bought my mom a Storyworth two years ago. The emailed stories and the book at the end are so cool! I recommend editing or choosing the questions strategically for variety Many of the prompts got similar responses from her.
Yesterday, I was able to hug another human being (my BFF) for the first time in 14 months. Yes, I cried.
I’m rereading Let’s Pretend right now because I thought I needed a refresher before getting Broken – I would love the audio of Broken in your own voice – it would be nice to hear how it actually sounds versus the voice I have for you in my head! (And the voice I have for you being Victor!)
I got my mom StoryWorth first, having heard about it here first (thank you!). Due to some health issues, hers ended up spanning 2 years to complete, and by then my dad was interested….now I have both of their books, and they are one of the first things I’d save in a fire (after humans and pets, of course!). Same, wish I had had this for my grandparents too!
I love the idea of StoryWorth! We videotaped my parents, asking them questions from a book I bought years ago. I’ve saved the clips for my kids to watch when they’re older. And there’s nothing like hearing your parents tell stories–hearing THEIR VOICES–after they’ve passed.
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I a’m so, so happy for you. I know how hard it is to be away from family. You will be okay and I can’t wait for you to share the funny and happy times y’all had together.
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