Get the Most Meaningful Gift I’ve Ever Given (Perfect for the Holidays)
Find out why StoryWorth may be the most meaningful gift you can give. 💚
Need a thoughtful gift idea? StoryWorth won’t disappoint. ❤️
Last year, my sisters and I gave one of the best gifts ever to my dad. It’s called StoryWorth and I’m telling you, it isn’t just meaningful, it’s life-changing and a wonderful idea for gifting for Mother’s Day.
My sisters and I got to experience the incredible and emotional process of gifting StoryWorth and reading my dad’s answers to questions we had never really had the chance to ask him before. We laughed, we cried, and our father-daughter bonds grew immensely over the course of the past year.
Here’s what my StoryWorth experience with my dad was like…
Upon embarking on my StoryWorth journey with my sisters, I can honestly say that we didn’t expect to be so moved by the stories we read from our father, and I certainly didn’t expect to shed so many tears in the process. My dad is a very authentic and honest man so we didn’t hesitate to ask a few “tougher” questions, and the stories we got back couldn’t have been more genuine.
One of these questions was “What was the most challenging thing you have done (or gone through) in your life and how did you get to the other side?” I knew that his response would undoubtedly be full of reflection, but I had no idea how moved I would be reading the significance of his daughters in this answer. And even just typing this out right now gets me all emotional. 😥
Here was his response:
What was the most challenging thing you have done (or gone through) in your life and how did you get to the other side?
“Far and away the most difficult and important challenge I have faced in my life was building a relationship with my three daughters following my separation and divorce from their mother. This already difficult situation (for the most part our divorce was civil, but at times it did become a bit contentious) was compounded by the fact that my young daughters and I lived 2000 miles apart.
Soon after Susan and I separated, I accepted a new position that required me to move from Houston, where we had lived for the prior 10+ years, to Hartford, Connecticut. And about a year after my move, Susan and the girls also left Houston to reestablish their lives in Boise, Idaho.
In virtually all divorces young children have to deal with varying levels of anger, resentment, fear, uncertainty, and confusion. In my case, these feelings were exacerbated by both my absence and the distance that separated us. Each of my daughters was impacted in their own unique way. When we separated in Houston, Collin was a pre-teen, Marley a young teen, and Bryn a full teen.
Sadly, they each went through their adolescent years without significant personal involvement and support from me. Fortunately, they did have a loving mother and stepdad to give them the supervision, advice, and support that adolescents need that I was not there to provide.
Thankfully for me, I have three wonderful loving daughters, and our relationships have all become much stronger and closer over time. My current relationship with my daughters and their families adds an indescribable and incalculable amount of value and joy to my life as a dad and grandpa, and puts in vivid perspective the things that are most important in life.”
As you can imagine, my sisters and I were completely touched knowing his love for us was always at the forefront of his mind and how much his and our mom’s divorce has weighed on him throughout the years.
Then we dug deeper and asked…
(On a side note, my sisters and I laughed so hard when we found this pic of my parents and shared it in a group text message with them. Even though they have been divorced for over 20 years, I love that we can all reminisce together. ❤️)
What was it like the first time you fell in love?
“I am and have always been a dreamer and a romantic. When I first fell in love, the vision and hope of spending my life with the woman of my dreams was pure ecstasy.
The very first time I fell in love was the second semester of my freshman year at Villanova. It was then that I began a puppy-love relationship with your mother, Susan. I discussed in a prior article the unique circumstances under which Susan and I first met.
It was not long after dating Susan several times that I became head over heels in love with her. I was convinced after those few dates that I had met the woman of my dreams. Susan represented everything I ever wanted in a girl. She was beautiful, perky, smart, irreverent, and affluent (and to top it all off, a WASP).
In addition, as I remember it and not because I wanted it, she was also a master of playing ‘hard to get’ and even ‘harder to kiss’. Susan told me that she already had a boyfriend and that she absolutely lived by a rule that nixed all kissing until at least the fourth date. I was incredulous (a boyfriend and a ridiculous kissing rule), but undeterred. I was committed to doing whatever it took to get rid of her boyfriend and to get a kiss (and enjoy whatever physical interactions might hopefully follow).
And I did. To set the record straight, I was successful in supplanting her boyfriend, but, truth be told, it was well after our fourth date that I had the opportunity to physically experience anything more than a kiss. In this one area, Susan was in every respect her mother’s daughter, ie, a prude.”
I don’t think I would have ever asked my dad what his fondest childhood memory is or what the riskiest thing he’s ever done is, but this unique experience was such an amazing opportunity to learn more about someone I’ve known my entire life, and it gave my sisters and me a much better understanding of our dad.
Even more rewarding, my parents, who have been divorced for decades, also bonded over StoryWorth by reminiscing about old memories and family photos… together! ❤️ This really was a gift for our whole family and I’m so thankful for how much closer it made all of us.
So how did my dad’s StoryWorth story unfold…
Over the span of a year, StoryWorth sent different questions every week that my sisters and I preselected—these could be questions that you never thought to ask or maybe you just never had the chance to ask.
From prompts like, “What sports did you play in high school?” to, “What’s your favorite childhood memory?” StoryWorth gives your recipient a blank page to tell the whole “story”.
Once they’ve replied to your questions, StoryWorth will send you a copy of each “story” and at the end of the year, every special story shared will be recorded in a keepsake book where the memories can stay alive. You can also purchase additional book copies if you want to keep one for yourself or other family members.
StoryWorth lets you customize your book with pictures from the past.
Want to make your personalized book even more special? Old family photos or childhood pictures are sure to put a smile on your recipient’s face and make their blast from the past more memorable. My sisters and I were lucky enough to track down a few old photos of my dad back in the day with his siblings and a few of us when we were little. They really made our StoryWorth book priceless!
A gift from the heart is worth more than any other gift.
StoryWorth is a gift for both the giver and the recipient. It’s such a special way to learn more about the people you love while honoring their past and preserving it for future generations. It’s also a great way to reconnect with your parents, siblings, or other loved ones over the new stories that are shared each week.
I’ll admit, it’s not the cheapest gift out there. Whether you gift StoryWorth to your mom for Mother’s Day or your significant other on your anniversary, the joy, laughter, and even tears shared from this experience will be worth every single penny!
Life is just too short to not say the things you want to say and share the things that are close to your heart, and StoryWorth gives you the space for that. Better yet, if you’re in need of a gift idea for the holidays, StoryWorth is quite possibly the BEST option, as there is nothing to ship (at least not right away) or even wrap!
Ready to give the most meaningful gift yet?
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Aww – I am finished shopping for Christmas. But this would have been a fantastic gift for my Grandma and Grandpa (I have to remember for next year). I actually am just getting into genealogy, and I really want to preserve stories from older generations. So cool.
I donât wanna be intrusive but donât wait. You never know what can happen. Get it done. You wonât regret it.
Same as I was thinking! Never wait… something like this is timeless đ
Great Valentineâs Day gift !!
Emily, buy it now, and they can do it all year and then by next Christmas, the books will be ready to print!
I ordered one of these for myself about 6 months ago and I’m in the process of writing down my own favorite stories and memories for my kids (who are still in school), but something are better just captured while they are fresh. It can be hard to motivate yourself to write the stories, but I’m always happy when I complete one.
I just wanted to say, this is also the best gift I’ve ever given – my mom LOVED it and spent a year writing a book that has photos and memories and things I never even knew about. We all have beautiful copies and are not trying to talk my dad into making one. StoryWorth makes it really easy (even if someone isn’t tech savvy) and I was shocked at how much my mom enjoyed the process. I agree – this is a priceless gift!!
Who and how are the photos added? That would be tough for my parents as they are in their 80’s and not super tech savvy.
You can add photos to their book anytime
Yes!!! I did this for my parents a few years back. They got the emails each week, answered them a d I picked out pictures when it was time to print the book. It was such a hit and is still a favorite. Both my parents said, âI wish I would have written even more!â I would love to do it for my grandma too.
Oh I wish I had known about this before my dad passed away last year. He was the BEST story teller and I know his book would have been a best seller!! haha… I have tears in my eyes just reading this post and all of the replies to it because I know how incredibly important it is to have those stories and memories to cherish. I thank God that my brother and I got to hear sooooo many stories about my dad’s life, especially when he was close to the end, but I truly wish he could have done this, he would have enjoyed it so very much. Spend time this season with the people you care about and really make the most of it. Stay off the phones, etc. and really soak it in. Life is too short not to live it! Happy Holidays! =)
Exactly what I wouldâve liked to have done with my grandma who passed last NYE unexpectedly. This wouldâve been great as she held a wealth of family knowledge & memories for the entire family (6 kids, 16 grandkids, & too many great grands). This wouldâve been an awesome keepsake đ
I lost my dad this past July and wow what I would give to have this type of treasure from him! My dad was a quiet and understated man but I think he would have enjoyed reflecting on and sharing his life with me with these prompts. I’m sorry for your loss and hope you’re doing well. Happy Holidays, sending you peace and love.
My dad passed 4 years ago and I wish I had done this with him….he was funny, witty, and a lot of times-quiet. We were very very close, but I wish I had more of him…more time, more words, more pictures. I’m getting this for my mom-I don’t wanna wish I did this with her. I want to have it.
Do you know if you can sign up now but not start the book for a month or two? I have a birthday in Jan and one in Feb that this would be a a great gift. I just wouldn’t want to start the weekly prompts until then.
Hi T! Yes! On the checkout page you will be able to choose the date to send the gift and get started!
Thank you Amber. đ
You’re very welcome!
Call them and see. I ordered one for my mom a month ago and was able to set when it would be delivered but I don’t know how far out they let you deliver it. Here is their contact info. (You can reach us by email at hello@storyworth.com or by text message at (888) 745-1080.)
Thank you for the info. I appreciate it. đ
I was able to customize my start date. I didnât want it to go out until after Christmas. I didnât check how far ahead I could push it
Would be an interesting idea for my dad, except his is a terrible speller and typist. Unless they proof the writing, or allow me to make edits before it gets printed, I worry that it would be unreadable. He’s an engineer so it really is that bad.
Hi Lee! Good news – you can edit a story at any time! You just log into your account, click on the story you want to edit from your Table of Contents, edit as needed and then hit save.
If one parent has a different recollection than the other, especially if they’re divorced, the story getting passed down is the one that will be remembered.
Thank you for sharing! Some things are priceless… and this is one! Merry Christmas đâ¤ď¸
SO true! đ You’re very welcome! Merry Christmas!
This is such a wonderful idea. After our 2nd daughter was born 18 years ago we gave each of our moms books to record memories, tell stories etc, My mother in law spent a year doing her book. My mom just wasnât interested in doing it. Iâm so grateful my mother in law did hers as she developed dementia later and she just passed away. Weâve always treasured this book and I know it will be even more appreciated by our daughters. This sounds like the new version of our book. After losing my Dad earlier this year and my Mother in Law this month , I never thought that last year would be the last Christmas I had with both of them. If youâre on the fence about doing this I hope you will give yourself and your children this amazing gift.
Thank you so much!!!! We didn’t know what to get for a family member!!!!!
You are SO welcome!
Such a good idea! I gave my grandma one of those letter writing books for Christmas a couple years ago, that she would fill out & give back to me. Unfortunately she unexpectedly passed the year after, and I don’t know if she was able to fill any out (and if she did, it wasn’t given to me.) Definitely don’t wait to do things…my other grandma passed a couple years before as well…she was estranged from the family & I thought we had time. It’s later than you think! Say what you need to say now! âĽď¸
I’m doing something different for Christmas this year. I asked my sister, son, and mother to each make 12 memory notes. One is opened on Christmas, and the other 11 the first day of each remaining months. (Label them Jan-Nov and fold them over, or put them in an envelope.) It doesn’t have to be a long story, just something that you will always remember, or a blurb about how one of their actions affected you. It will be neat to know what we each think of and if we come up with any of the same memories when we exchange with each other on Christmas.
PLEASE READ: I am a mother and grandparent. My daughter gave me a similar “memory” book to fill out. Although a nice thing to have, I was rather hurt by it. I would rather share those stories personally with her and my grandchildren face to face. They don’t seem to have the time to listen to them now when I am alive and can interact with them???? Yes, the stories can be passed on when they are written down, but don’t forget to talk to your parents/grandparents about these things when they are alive! Yours and their lives will be much richer for it.
Why not both? I bought something similar for my kidsâ grandparents so that they will have it written down for their kids and so on. They still spend time with them and can learn these stories, but a written record will never be forgotten.
I am sorry you were hurt by the gift. I understand what you are communicating, but as a mom to four kids ranging in age from 7-17 I take every opportunity to talk and listen to the stories my parents, in-laws and 95 yo Grandma share, but I do not have the time to write them down.
Often the stories come in everyday moments; such as while taking a walk where we don’t have the ability to write them down. Having a book like this is a great way to get those stories written down that we may have heard already but didn’t have the time to write down or that we overheard being told to our kids or were told to our kids when we weren’t around and recited to us via the child and we now can get the full story.
I would encourage you to reconsider and fill out the memory book for your daughter. Perhaps you can get to together with her as you fill it out and share with her what you wrote?
May you have a Merry Christmas!
I’m sorry you were hurt by this type of gift. By your daughter gifting this to you she is telling you that she cares about your life and the stories you have to pass on. It’s ok to want more time and attention with them now but I dont think the gift was meant to be hurtful.
A little diversion off this post…..for hard to buy grandparents who have everything…a couple years ago I decided to write down all kinds of random memories I had of them since childhood on little slips of paper and put them in a mason jar (things like us kids drinking their cold, black coffee on the way to the mountain, or grandpa always having a pocketknife in his pocket). It was a hit not only with them, but everyone else in the family who had similar memories that they had long forgotten!
Great idea!!
I see the option for only two books. Is it possible to get more than two books? If I do this for my parents I can imagine my two siblings wanting a copy as would potentially want to get 4 copies.
You can order additional books at the end of the subscription year. The pricing for additional copies of your book is as follows:
⢠$39: Black and white interior, up to 480 pages
⢠$79: Color books, up to 300 pages
⢠$99: Color books above 300 pages, up to 480 pages
I love this idea! Although Iâm only just turning 40 Iâm thinking of getting it for myself. I feel a little silly being on the younger side but…My sister and I were both diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer 18 months ago and although Iâm disease free, she passed away this summer at the age of 30. One of my biggest regrets for her is that her children wonât know her. One of my biggest fears is that mine wonât know me if my cancer returned. This is something Iâve been trying to figure out how to do. Thank you for posting this idea.
Not silly at all! Sounds like a great idea! Sorry for your loss.
This sounds like a great idea! Sorry about your sister. Iâm 36 and just finished treatment/surgery for breast cancer. Weâre never too young to write down our story! God bless
What a great idea! My dad just retired this week and Iâve been trying to think of a meaningful gift. This will give him something to do and preserve memories for me, my 3 sisters and all the grandkids!
đđđđ§Ąđ§Ąđ§Ąđ§Ą!!!!!!! Thanks for sharing Collin…so heart-warming! Definitely doing this next year. đ
Aww, You’re most welcome! đ
This is perfect! Thank you!
You bet!
Does Apple know if you can order additional books later? And whether the price goes up or down later?
Yes you can always order more books later. Each time you refer someone you earn a free book too
Collin, LOVE your bowl cut when you were little … you 3 sisters are sooo cute in these pics!! Thanks for sharing…What a great gift idea to pass down stories of love and family through the years.
Awwww, thank you! Collin is so grateful for you and your support and loves all the positive vibes she feels here! Your kind words mean the world to her, marie!
Some of these questions would make me uncomfortable answering. My parents nor my in-laws would never complete it.
You get to choose the questions, there are hundreds to choose from and you can alter them or even write your own
I gave this to my terminally ill husband (brain cancer). He loved answering the questions each week. He passed away on thanksgiving so now I will finalize the book and order hard copies for myself and our college age kids
I’m so sorry to hear of your loss, Laury. What a fantastic tribute to your husband and gift to your kids. Thanks so much for sharing!
Laury, I’m so sorry to hear of your loss. Wishing you and your children peace and joy in the memories.
My dad would be mad I gave him homework as a gift đ I wish he was thoughtful enough to reply but he wouldnât… and my mom would have liked it, been slightly annoyed by it but liked it and did it for us. But she passed this year.
I gave this to my parents and they enjoyed it for a couple of months but then they got tired of it. Still, the stories that I did collect were worth the price.
This made me tear up… Enjoy your Christmas â¤ď¸đ
Merry Christmas!
I just bought your mothers story, fathers story and grandmas story that is similar to thus, but you get them to fill it out in their own writing. Each book was $8 at Barnes and Noble. Best gift to get those that have everghing.
Omg COLLIN!!! I’m sobbing over here reading his responses and feeling so emotional the love he has for all of you and your sisters!!! I’ve followed you for many years now and know so much that you have been through as well!! This is such an AMAZING GIFT!!! You never cease to amaze me!!!â¤đâ¤
Stacy P! Your kind words are so appreciated! The love, support and community here is felt by Collin! She loves it! She is so grateful for her family and so thankful her dad was able to share his story in such an honest and open way.
quick question for you—-did you do one for each? I am wondering if I could do ONE that they both participate in. I’d just prefer to have both of their stuff in one book, like maybe they alternate questions or weeks. What do you think on whether or not this will work?
You do one for each other and in the end, you can have them both combined into one book if it’s under 480 pages.
Can you order 1 book now and then have more copies printed after itâs complete? I assume the answer is yes but thought Iâd ask those that have experience.
You can buy additional copies for $35
My parents have their 61st wedding anniversary later this month and was thinking about purchasing one for both of them. When does it let you choose the questions you want them to answer? I don’t see an option for that when purchasing. And do you have to choose questions or do they have standard/generic questions they will send?
Hi there! Here is what I found on that in the details –
“You can choose your storytellerâs questions from our library, edit our questions, or even write your own, so you have full flexibility with the topics your storyteller can write about.
If youâd prefer not to choose questions, your storyteller will receive questions randomly from our library by default.”
“Each question email contains a link to change your question if youâre not inspired by that weekâs topic. Just click that link, and youâll be taken to our question library, where you can choose a new question or write your own.”
Hoping that is helpful!
I did this for my parents and mother in law, and it has been worth every penny! Reading all of their stories brings tears to my eyes every week, and I canât wait to have a book for each one of them.
What a beautiful thing indeed this is! I am just lost for words at how many lives this will touch! Absolutely going to do this, how could we not? Thanks so much for telling us about this great gift!
You’re very welcome, Misty! đ
I love this idea, this priceless gift of stories. Iâm a little confused, however. If I purchase this gift for my mother in law will I be getting an email with specific questions or questions that I can change and StoryWorth will then forward to Mom? Or does she get emailed a question with the option to change the question?
Hi there! You do have a few options on the questions –
âYou can choose your storytellerâs questions from our library, edit our questions, or even write your own, so you have full flexibility with the topics your storyteller can write about.
If youâd prefer not to choose questions, your storyteller will receive questions randomly from our library by default.â
âEach question email contains a link to change your question if youâre not inspired by that weekâs topic. Just click that link, and youâll be taken to our question library, where you can choose a new question or write your own.â
Hoping this information is helpful!
Thank you, Amber.
You’re so welcome! đ¤
Oh my gosh, this really does look like the best gift ever! Thank you, thank you for letting me know about it! There is still time to make a book like this, though of course, I won’t make it in time for the holiday.
I really love personalized gifts. The cost is not important to me and my family, but the attention is. So just buying any souvenir is not about us.
Did your father record his voice answers to questions on site? Type then into the website? Or did he write out the answers long hand and send them in? My mother is 91 and I donât think she could either type or write a bookâs worth of answers. Iâm hoping voice recording is an option. I gave her a book with blank spaces to write in answers to memory prompts and questions but that hasnât happened.
Hey Dee! It sends an email to anyone you want to include so they can type in their answers. I am doing one with my maternal grandma and grandpa right now, and my mom and I are taking turns transcribing them. We’ll ask them the question and record their answer, and then we type them up when we get the chance. It’s working for us this way, but it definitely is a work-around. The program as-is does not have a voice recording transcription service.
Thanks, Stacy.
If your parents are still alive, DO THIS! I WISH I had the chance to ask my mom questions and get adult answers from her. She died when I was young, my father had died when I was a baby, I have nobody to ask about things from my childhood or their lives before me.
My daughter gifted me with this last Christmas. I love it! I enjoy recalling the memories and writing them down for family to enjoy. It’s in writing based on my own experiences that they may or may not know about and this way those memories can be recalled with my thoughts and opinions on it.
After a cancer diagnosis in November and the scare that I may not be here much longer it’s definitely helped her to read what I have fond memories of that will be there for her to read over time.
So do they WRITE out their answers or type or speak them? Sounds amazing but getting an elderly person to type out a story on a computer or phone or ask them to write it may be a challenge. How do they record their answers?
They write it out. I have this for my mom. She is 70 and uses her tablet. She puts in what she can and has me help her with the rest. We also gave this to my father-in-law who is 71. He types it in himself (slowly) on a desktop computer. Both of them are not tech-savvy, but they both like the idea of doing it themselves. Hope this helps, Randel!
I am doing mine on my iPad, as is my 94 year old mother. I often use the dictation feature of my iPad then go back, proofread and edit. Much easier than all the typing
I am still unclear….If I order but want my sibs to be in on the questions, how does that work? Do we all pick questions? Then all send them in. Then all get the answers from the company? Since I ordered it does the printed book come to me or the person answering the questions? So sorry for being so dense!!
So I bought one for my grandparents, and we are doing the option where their books will be combined. You have the option to invite as many “recipients” as you want. They will be able to see all of the stories submitted along with seeing questions and current stories. On my book, I have my mother and brother as the added recipients. Once a week, it sends us three an email letting us know what the upcoming question is for the week. We can either leave it alone and it will send that question to the storyteller, or we can edit it or make up our own question. Honestly, their library of questions has been really great so we’ve just been going with what they send each week. We haven’t edited any. Once my grandparents answer, we all three get the email with the response in our email. (For us, my grandparents are not great typists so we’re actually taking turns visiting them and then transcribing their answers so I actually go in and enter their response for them. Then, my mom and brother see it.)
Your order comes with a book credit so when you’re done with the book, you’ll use that credit to order the physical book and choose wherever you want to send it. You can also order multiple books. I ordered a total of 4 which I’ll have all sent to me since we’re all local. One will go to my grandparents (since I am combining their stories into one book), one will go to mom, one for my bro, and one for me.
Hope this helps!
Thank you Stacy! One last question. On the website it says only ONE storyteller per book. How did you combine stories, as that is actually what I would like to do? Thank you again for clarifying the earlier questions I had.
Hi Sona! Here is what I found on that –
“Can my familyâs stories be printed in the same book?
Each subscription covers 1 storyteller and 1 book, but if you purchase multiple subscriptions for multiple storytellers, you can include all their stories in the same book at the time of printing. (Youâd then receive multiple copies of that book for your family to save.)”
For additional questions and details you can always reach out to customer service – hello@storyworth.com
1 (888) 745-1080
Hope this is helpful!
Do they have to fill in the answers online or do they write them on the pages? Iâd want a joint book for my parents but they wouldnât do it if they had to type it all out online.
Hi there! Here is what I found on how that works –
“How do I submit my story? –
Just hit âReplyâ to the question email, and compose your story in the new email. When youâre done, just send the email, and your story will be posted to your account.”
I love this, but my dad doesnât have an email and small print is difficult for him to read. đ˘
How expensive are extra copies if I don’t order them upfront?
This is what I found on their site: You can order additional books at the end of the subscription year. The pricing for additional copies of your book is as follows:
⢠$39: Black and white interior, up to 480 pages
⢠$79: Color books, up to 300 pages
⢠$99: Color books above 300 pages, up to 480 pages
My memories are not of storybook nature. Dad got the 2 shorts set from Boscovs. At $7.99 I was not the only one with the idea as they were mostly sold out!
I wish they had a fill in the blank one that was printed, Cause first, I would love to preserve moms handwriting and second, my mom dont do email.
I gave my 78 yr old dad this for Christmas and he has been working on it weekly since January 1st 2021 âĽď¸ I cannot wait until we get the finished collection all in a book. My plan was to gift everyone with a book this year but I just lost my job of 14 years on Friday. I will definitely order one for my dad and my family…but I will just have to give my other family members instructions on how to order one for themselves.
Bought one of these for my dad who then told me he appreciated the thought but he wouldnât be filling it out. I donât think he meant it to hurt my feelings, heâs just not that kinda guy. So, I asked questions and videoed instead. Worked like a charm.
Do you know if the price for this ever goes any lower than $89? Like on Black Friday or other seasonal sales?