Memories of My Dad is written for teenagers and young adults who have unfortunately lost their father (child and adult versions available). This memory book is a 6x9 guided journal with peaceful, calming colors and includes over 100 prompts to help recall memories to be written down and not forgotten.
Not only is this a healthy way to work through feelings and grief after the loss of a father, but it also is an amazing keepsake that can be cherished as they get older.
Memories of My Dad is 83 pages and includes fill in the blank, short answer, and open-ended prompts. There are also spaces to add photos, handwriting samples, and recipes, as well as open journal pages and areas for others to add in their personal memories.
Sample prompts are
- When I learned how to drive, Dad ______.
- Dad's advice about dating was ______.
- When Dad was a little boy, he wanted to be a _______ when he grew up.
- Dad's favorite color was _______.
- His favorite place to be in the house was _________.
- My Dad is the best because ________.
- A personality trait that I inherited from Dad is _______.
- Something silly that Dad always did was _______.
- Dad wore size _____ shoe, and his favorite shoes were _______.
- A smell that reminds me of Dad is ________.
- The best advice Dad gave me was _______.
Other areas include
- Ways to honor Dad on the anniversary of her death.
- Sections to write out feelings.
- Sections to write letters to Dad.
- Interview pages to ask others about their memories.
- Sections for others to write their stories.
Memories of My Dad will be treasured for a lifetime.
The Memories Of... book series is inspired by the tragic loss of my mom when I was six-years-old. I have absolutely no memories of her. Due to the shock of her death, I mentally blocked any memories that potentially could have stayed with me. I have wished many times over the years that someone would have written some things down for me - - things that could have helped me to remember who she was, what she loved, what she didn't love, and so much more. I especially wish someone had written down MY memories for me so that I would not have forgotten them. As I grew older, I would have known those were my own thoughts and not things someone told me.
Every time I hear of a child losing a parent, I try to recommend that family members sit down and ask the child some questions to get his/her memories down on paper. I began to search for a memory book to give as a gift. I saw that there was a need for a memory book written from the point of view of the child. This became the inspiration for these memory books.
Each memory book adds prompts appropriate for life experiences that might have occurred during that stage of life. For example, Memories of My Mother/Father include prompts about graduating college, getting married, having children, etc.
The prompts are meant to engage the child (no matter the age), to gather memories and get them written down before they are forgotten so that they can be remembered as time goes by.
There are three versions for each parent, based on the age of child when he/she experienced the death of a parent:
Memories of My Mommy/Daddy - for a child birth through around 12 years of age.
Memories of My Mom/Dad - for a teenager or young adult.
Memories of My Mother/Father - for an adult.
