If we had the chance wouldn't we all choose to leave this world and our loved ones with some of our invaluable advice and musings?
BEFORE I GO is a Beautiful and Unique personal journal/book allowing you to pass on the little pieces of the jigsaw puzzle that make up the IRREPLACEABLE you.
We hope BEFORE I GO will gently lead people (through various headings and pages) to think about their lasting legacy and how they would like to be remembered.
Fill it with all the things that matter to you.
Fill it in privately or with everyone's knowledge. Record your memories, thoughts and wishes for your family and friends, creating a personal memory book as you go.
It allows anyone to plan how they would like to be remembered, with pages to fill in, ranging from 'Wise Words' to 'Happy Memories' 'Favourite Songs, Poems' and 'Wishes For Your Family' to 'Milestones i'd still like you to Celebrate', there's even a space for a sealed 'My Send Off' envelope for specific final wishes.
Write, Stick, Staple - make it your own - messy or pristine.
Add anything that means something to you, if a page or section doesn't apply to you - change it, or if you have lots to say add a few more pages. If you haven't got,say, any Recipes for the 'Recipes to remember' pages, how about your recipe for a Happy Life, a Good Relationship or getting a Baby to Sleep?
So whether you have a lifetime or a short time, you could fill in this Personal journal and pass it on when the time comes, so when you leave this world, your loved ones hearts are a little less heavy and the chair around the table a little less empty.
Far from being morbid, we hope your book will be full of love and truly unique.
THE STORY BEHIND Before I Go…
Having lost my Father to Cancer and Mother-in-law to Alzheimer's, we now have two very empty chairs around the dinner table at our lovely and regular family get togethers.
Around the same time one of my closest friends was diagnosed with Breast Cancer.
She was a busy mum of two young kids, working, running the house and I wondered what would happen if she wasn't there anymore?
Yes life would go on, her husband would cope, people would help, the kids would grow up but what if there was a guide to 'her' that she could leave behind (she was a lucky one and she made a full recovery).
So, me and my husband talked about a book that could be filled with love, advice, wishes and even recipes - something my dad may have filled in privately and my mother in law could have filled in on her 'good' days and my friend, just to fill in and take control of something when her world felt it was collapsing around her.
We couldn't find another book like it, a book that the reader fills in to then pass on when the time came, SO we created one - somehow I'm now a swimming teacher, publisher and author!
So many people, when they leave this world, take all their thoughts, hopes, sayings and wishes with them - maybe we should all have 'THAT' conversation and start putting pen to paper.
Everyone that sees the book looks at it from a different perspective, that just makes it more unique. We hope it will give those left behind, a love filled, useful, thought provoking, funny and unique memento of their treasured someone. Truly made with love.
The secret of my Chewy Chocolate Fudge Brownies and recipe are going in my book, for future generations to enjoy x
As featured in London Evening Standard 15th Nov 2016.