-Helen Keller

Welcome to Memory Authors!  I love people and I love a good story.  I've always enjoyed writing and earned a degree in Communications in 1996 from Bellevue University, hoping to pursue a career in TV broadcasting or public relations.  Instead I accidentally landed in the field of technology which has kept me busy for the last twenty years. Playing piano and writing music lyrics were other creative outlets for me although I never had the confidence to share.  These hobbies served as therapy and stress release from my nine to five.

In 2018 the urge to write again came about as I started writing a non-fiction narrative about the unique, unexpected circumstances around my Godfather Tim's passing and the synchronicities that followed. Through the healing power of writing, I was flooded with memories of other loved ones that had a significant impact on my life.   After Tim's death, I lost several friends and family members in a span of a few short years and I started journaling to help grieve and remember.  I held onto special moments that I never got the chance to share in an eulogy or post-funeral luncheon.  I lost one of my very first childhood friends, a co-worker, a concert buddy, my father-in-law and my aunt and each one etched a special memory on my heart.

I created Memoryauthors.com as a place where I could curate stories written by ordinary people about the extraordinary people that have blessed their life before passing on.  A place where one can practice writing skills, be an author in a safe space and not fear having the right grammar or punctuation.  It's about getting thoughts and memories from the heart out into the open and getting some healing in the process. I want to encourage people to write inspiring stories and binge read about humorous moments others had with a friend, a loved one's fulfilling career or the way they made an impact.   Whether it is about someone's volunteering, hobby or passion or how they treated others with simple kindness, I look forward to building this gallery of short stories and cherished memories with you.  

I am still practicing as an author as well.  Only through practice can we become better and more confident.  Death and dying is a universal experience, yet it is often surrounded by silence and discomfort.  Writing about a loved one can break these barriers and become a safe haven to process feelings and share important memories. Having grown up during the height of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, I remembered how those short stories helped navigate me through tough times in college, relationships and early adulthood.  Those were all stories that came from ordinary people that were never deemed professional writers.  Those stories felt real and authentic and definitely provided warmth for my soul as the titles of those books suggested.

I am so glad you found this space!  My hope is to spread love and facilitate healing.  Honoring lives by sharing a memory and crafting a written story to celebrate and preserve the legacy of loved ones.