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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I’m assuming 2 people can do it, right? I would love one for my parents.
Yes. You can send one to each of them OR ask them to share it.
I saw an infommercial on this just last night. Oh how I wished my grandparents were still here to do this. But I do have memories of their stories tucked away. Definitely getting my parents to do this!! Thanks for the discount code!
You’re so welcome, Michelle!
We love Storyworth and found out about it here! I will say that some of the questions are reparative. My mom got tired of them. Lol! Once I adjusted the questions it worked better for us.
Good to know it was more enjoyable when you adjusted the questions! Thanks for sharing with us!
I’m wanting one book with both of my parents responding. Is this possible?
It looks like you can do that as that is what Stacy shared she did above, if you wanted to check out her review! “I got one for both of them that we plan to combine in a single book.” Hope this helps!
Collin, i sent you an email (which you replied back to) about the value of Story Worth in every aspect you can think of. Its such an amazing treasure. You certainly arent going to realize the impact that this has on you until the person “writing” the book is no longer here. Trust me, if you think you have plenty of time to ‘get around to it’….just do it now. Its a decision that will pay for itself. I wasnt able to get as many stories as i thought i would, but im thankful everyday that i got the few that i did. Thank you so much for posting this last year when you did. Best decision i made. ❤️
Everything you said is so VERY true. Thank you for sharing your personal StoryWorth experience with me. It means so much. ❤️
Omg…tear jerker! 😭
So apparently, I also commented on this post 2 years ago lol. I just have to say, Collin, I freaking LOVE your dad! He seems like an amazing storyteller and a loving father. I wish I had been able to have my dad do one of these. Merry Christmas HipFam!
Your comment is just the sweetest! ❤️🥺 I’ll totally be passing along to my dad! 🤗 Merry Christmas! 🎄
Just purchased this for both my parents. Love this. Hoping they enjoy reminiscing too! Thank you!
Yay! You’re most welcome! Happy you could grab it for them! Hope you all enjoy it! ❤️