Creating Lasting Memories for Dying People

People often will keep the voice-mail message of a loved one who has died, just to hear their voice. Kate Carter takes this to a whole new level.

In 1998, Kate’s best friend Tairi was dealing with breast cancer. Tairi’s husband had recently died of ALS. They had young children. Kate says, “I sat around crying, wondering how I could help.”

Kate ran a medical transcription business in Santa Barbara, CA. She began thinking there was “something more meaningful” she was meant to do. Waiting for that something to appear, she signed up for a TV production class.

What started off slowly with a few videos a year has now grown into a full-fledged non-profit operation, LifeChronicles, that has created over 1,500 videos.

The video experience is, Kate says, “more than I expected. At first I thought it was about telling stories. I didn’t realize the therapeutic value for families. Some things need to be said. Families have a chance to resolve issues and tie up loose ends.”

It's a terrific read about a woman who has given so much to these families. You can read the entire story here.

Giving Things Away in Your Lifetime

As we move beyond building our careers and families, and into that stage of life where we fully understand that our relationships mean so much more to us than our material possessions, many begin to give away some of those favorite possessions that are also loved by dear friends and family.

My sister did this when she was first diagnosed with stage IV ovarian cancer. She fought it, and went through all the treatments, and we were lucky to have her with us for another four years.

She was blessed with so many friends, and began to give some of her most loved possessions to many of them, while she was still living, and could see the joy they got from the gift. That process reflected love and joy back to her, knowing they would remember her each time they saw or used or wore their gift from her.