Writing That Lasts: Guided Memoir Writing, Legacy Letters, and Expressive Journaling

As we move through May—a month that always seems to invite reflection—I find myself thinking about the many ways we tell our stories. There's something about this time of year, with its bright mornings and slowly warming evenings, that encourages a look back, even as it gently pushes us forward.

Recently, I've been deeply inspired by a remarkable new client, a woman in her 80s, who's embarked on a writing project that blends guided memoir writing, legacy letters, and expressive journaling. She's doing it all in two languages and with a quiet determination that's nothing short of moving. She reminds me that it's never too late to begin, never too late to shape your voice into something lasting.

She began with a memory—not a dramatic one, but an image. She remembered how letters were once written on impossibly thin blue airmail paper, folded just so, traveling slowly across continents. It struck her how different that is from the videos and voice notes her grandchildren record on their iPhones. And yet, the heart behind it—the longing to be heard, the impulse to connect—is timeless.

Guided memoir writing doesn't require you to have it all figured out. In fact, it often starts with a single image, like my client's memory of those old letters. That one detail opened the door to stories about growing up during wartime, the first time she saw the ocean, the meaning of her name.

Writing your memoir with guidance is less about having the "right" story and more about discovering meaning in what may seem ordinary. Often, people say: "I don't think I have anything interesting to write." But once we sit together, and they begin to speak, the stories pour out—funny, painful, profound, and always unique.

• The earliest smell you remember
• A time you were afraid but did it anyway
• A favorite object you've kept for years—why?
• The day you met someone who changed you
• A food that always brings you home

You don't need to start with your birth. Start anywhere. Start with now, even. Let one moment lead to another.

Legacy letters are personal messages to loved ones—part memory, part reflection, part heart. My client is writing to her children and grandchildren, not just to tell them what happened in her life, but to share what she learned from it. One letter ends with a recipe. Another with an apology. Another with a quiet blessing.

Legacy letters don't need to be long or formal. They are a way to say, "This is who I was, and this is what I hope for you." They're a kind of emotional heirloom, passed hand to hand, even after we're gone.

• A story from your life that shaped you
• A hope you have for your loved one
• A belief or lesson you've come to hold dear
• A family recipe, poem, or quote
• Something you never said but always meant to

These letters don't need to be perfect. They just need to be real.

Expressive journaling is my client's space to think aloud on paper. Some days, the writing is light—memories of music, spring flowers, a neighbor's kindness. Other days, it's more difficult: questions about aging, sorrow for those she's lost, anxiety about the world. But even then, it's honest, unfiltered, alive.

Often, something from her journal becomes the seed of a legacy letter or a moment in her memoir. Writing for the self has a way of opening doors to writing for others.

• A letter to your younger self
• A dream you had last night
• A list of things you're grateful for today
• A map of your life drawn in metaphor: "If my life were a garden..."
• A conversation between two parts of yourself (the worrier and the dreamer, for instance)

Don't censor. Don't judge. Just write. Even if no one ever reads it, it will change you.

She's given herself a deadline for this project: her next birthday. It's a beautiful goal, a way of honoring time, intention, and voice. It keeps her motivated but without pressure. As she puts it, "I want to give something meaningful—not just things—to my family. And I want to feel finished on my own terms."

There's wisdom in that. Our voices don't need to echo forever, but they do deserve to be heard.

Combining guided memoir writing, legacy letters, and expressive journaling creates a rich, layered record of a life. One form helps you explore. One helps you preserve. One helps you give. Together, they become a kind of living archive—true to who you are, in all your complexity.

Each form supports the others. Your journal might reveal a truth that becomes a legacy letter. Your letter might unearth a story that belongs in your memoir. Your memoir might inspire someone else to begin writing their own.

Here are some of the most common things people say when they consider writing their stories—and how I gently respond:

• "I'm not a good writer."
  You don't have to be. The goal is not literary perfection—it's honesty, clarity, heart.
• "My life is too ordinary."
  Every life is ordinary and extraordinary. We live in the details. The story of your favorite breakfast cereal or how your mother folded laundry can reveal more than you think.
• "What if I hurt someone?"
  That's a valid concern. You don't have to share everything. Writing privately can be healing. Publishing or sharing can come later—or not at all.
• "It's too late to start."
  It's never too late. My client is in her 80s. Another began at 92. And you don't have to finish all at once. One page at a time is still progress.

If you've been thinking about writing your story, or sharing something meaningful with the people you love, let this season encourage you. May reminds us that growth is possible at any age, and beginnings don't need to be dramatic. They can start with a single image, like the feel of thin paper between your fingers, and grow into something lasting.

Perhaps you want to leave behind a letter. Perhaps you want to process your own past in a private notebook. Perhaps you want to preserve family stories that would otherwise vanish. There's no wrong reason to start. The only mistake is waiting too long.

1. Buy a beautiful notebook and dedicate it to your memoir writing journey.
2. Call someone and ask them for a story you've never heard.
3. Set a timer for ten minutes and write without stopping.
4. Revisit an old photo album and jot down what surfaces.
5. Write a single sentence: "The one thing I want to say is…"

You don't have to write alone. I'm here to guide and support your journey, whether you're starting with a journal, a memory, or just a quiet desire to leave something behind that matters.

Because your voice matters. And someone—perhaps not today, but one day—will be so glad you wrote it down.