Betsy C. Baker loves to write. After her husband, David, died, the time was right to create a memoir. Holding Fast combines Betsy’s memories of childhood, her high-profile careers, marriage, family illness, death and loss with her imaginative creative fiction. Through its straight-talking, compelling stories told as truth and fiction, we are reminded to “hold fast” to our family history and memories. It was our distinct pleasure to create this book with her!

This summer we met Mihai “Mike” Pop, a talented, up-and-coming, Atlanta-based street photographer. He contacted us to create a book of his Romania photos, a piece to share with his family and others to showcase his work. Together, Mike and Lilly, his photobook coach, crafted this tender and compelling book, Romania Through My Lens.

Many of us inherit a family recipe collection. What an opportunity! Your recipe collection is a great way to save and share favorite family recipes with family stories and photos. Like these books created by our clients, Liz and Anita.

Your legacy is now definitely digital -- Apple, Facebook and Google, to name only a few. What happens to your data when you die? Who will have access after you’re gone?

I remember her in a wheelchair, fully dressed every day, in that big apron with the pockets on the underside where she kept her snacks and her .32 pistol. When I was three or four years old, she was my babysitter while my mother was at work. She was also my protector when I misbehaved.

Had I seen these leather-bound books before? Five of them, each with “A Line A Day” embossed in gold on the cover? I must have during at least one of the four packing/unpacking sessions of my parents’ recent downsizings. But, I don’t remember them at all.

“Legacy” is following me. I see it everywhere – in emails, conversations, podcasts, articles. And legacy is not being at all sneaky, but making itself known at every turn.

“So, Jiffy, how do I work with you and Pixorium?”

Someone asked me that question recently. Someone I was sure knew the answer. Wow.

If he didn’t know, then I had explaining to do!

“Help me find my story. I’m not sure I have one.” Yes, you do. They’re hard to see in your own life. I often hear, “Really, what have I done? I’ve just lived my life.”

Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s: These are the times that families get together and tell stories. But conversations with family members can sometimes stay on a superficial level; it can take a few storytelling, memory-sharing, history prompts for family members to get to the good stuff.

By Pixorium Client, Sandy Thim

Seeing the books others had done lit a spark in me… It all began when Renee, a member of a book club I belong to, asked Jiffy to attend to talk about telling your story in memoir and photo books.

By Pixorium Client, Cyndy Mote Saunders

Ideas come from unexpected places. Mine came in a room full of grandparents, being told that our memories matter, that they’re unique, that they’ll be lost if we don’t write them down.

It’s finally time to come out. I’m a member of the club that no one wants to belong to…ever. I’m a parent whose child died. Our son, Daniel, died in August 2000, at age 18.

During big gatherings, grandparents can often fade into the background. To keep the conversation going as a group and share the moment as a family, consider asking some questions about the family history.