What lessons have been of most importance to me? What advice helped me/would I like to pass on?

Please reflect on your life and recall whichever memories pertain to your most essential life lessons. These can seem trivial but are valuable to your unique wisdom. So do not edit yourself at all, just put down whatever feels important.

Your workspace is private so feel uninhibited and write anything. You can change it later.

As an example, when I was 20 I met a man called Jim Ede who was 90 then and we became friends. I visited him regularly for 3 years until his death. The last time I saw him he pulled me close and quietly said, “Be good.”

I was young, and wondered how after 93 years of life such simple advice could be his chosen last words to me? More than 30 years later, his parting gift still resonates in my mind and heart. With my aging, those simple words keep taking on more meaning, and I am eternally grateful to him and his love for me.

I share a story, Breakfast with Jim, about our relationship in a blog entitled What advice would you give to the next generation? Here is a picture of him, and below that a photo of his book, A way of life, Kettle’s Yard, showing inside his home:

Make sure to enjoy this writing process. You are making something of long lasting value. You may keep your book confidential, or share it with loved ones. It might be treasured centuries from now by descendants who never met you, yet gain wisdom and insight from the words you place here now.