Dear Sir,

A message for Father’s Day: Brothers, they say if you “write it down, you live forever“.

Why? Writing down your life story triggers noteworthy memories that haven’t been retrieved in years. To boot, you can record your story the old-fashioned way by hand, or by typing, word processing, or digital recording. Your recorded history then becomes an incredible bridge across generations for children and grandchildren. Besides, it lowers stress, a kind of “downloading and unloading” of feelings.

It will bolster your sense of self-identity and pass down family history and traditions. You will begin to recover memories of things from the past, plus it will create a cool vibe to jibe with your tribe.

To get started, you're entirely welcome to use my memoir, Flog Your Memory, Write It Down, as a template to write and compile your story. The book is on Amazon and for sale at the Bermuda Bookstore.

I digress here to say I dedicated Flog Your Memory to my three adult sons: Vernon, Aaron, and Jeremy. Sadly, Vernon passed away unexpectedly last September and left a void in our lives. When his memory comes to mind, it brings an inexplicable sense of joy and loss.

Here’s a quote from Heidi Michelsen of Amber’s Wings charity in memory of her late daughter, Amber Rose Bridges, who tragically passed away in a road crash at 16 in 2021. The quote expresses our collective feelings at the passing of one of our precious, cherished sons.

“Grief is just love with no place to go.” — Jamie Anderson

Pardon me for straying from the intent of this article, but again, this piece underscores the importance of either writing down or digitizing your story. Happy Father’s Day!

THE REVEREND FRED HASSELL

Paget