Memoir Writing

9: A Path Forward: Overcoming Health Challenges to Write a Memoir

Michael Williams
4 min readAug 13, 2024

In this final story in the series, we meet a woman whose desire to write a memoir is held back by her health challenges. Will she find a way to overcome them and share the story she longs to tell?

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Betty sat in her favorite armchair, staring at the blank notebook on the side table. The idea of writing her memoir had been a dream for years, but her health had made it increasingly difficult to commit to the project. Arthritis stiffened her hands, and her limited mobility made attending writing workshops at the community center feel like an impossible task.

Her daughter, Lisa, called that evening, as she often did. “Mom, how are you feeling today? Have you thought any more about starting your memoir?”

Betty sighed. “I’d love to, Lisa, but with my arthritis acting up and how hard it is for me to get out of the house, I just don’t see how I can manage it. It’s too much.”

Lisa was quiet for a moment, then said, “Mom, what if there was a way to do it from home? I know it’s hard for you to get around, but maybe we can find a solution that fits your needs.”

The next day, Lisa did some research and discovered a memoir-writing program that offered home visits and online sessions specifically…

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Michael Williams
Michael Williams

Written by Michael Williams

I’m a storyteller, Story Coach, writer, Guided Autobiography Instructor, End-of-Life Planning Facilitator & podcast host. Oh yeah, I play ukulele.

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