A person’s memoir is written for deep personal, reflective, and meaningful reasons.

A memoir captures experiences that would otherwise be lost with time. Memories fade, people pass away, and details disappear. A memoir preserves family history and cultural values as well as their family understanding their roots. It becomes a living record for future generations. A memoir allows a person to leave behind more than possessions, it leaves wisdom, voice, and identity serving as a guide or comfort to those who face similar struggles.

Some people write memoirs after loss, trauma, immigration, illness, or major transitions. The memoir helps them honor who they were and who they became. Memoirs help make peace with the past, forgive others and accept life as it unfolds. The act of writing itself can be healing and clarifying. 

It’s a way of saying, “This is my story, in my own words.”