The genetic specialist turned her screen to face me, showing me the cancers within my family tree, and the only thing running through my mind was, “Your diagram Is bullsh*t”
There it was, a box containing my grandad’s name with a big red cross going all the way through it. Edward Hand – Deceased, Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. How was this his legacy? Ok, so I knew him, but in years to come is that all that future generations are going to know about this incredible man? My heart just sank, remembering the conversion I had with my grandad during his illness.
“I’ve bought you a gift Grand, I think we should fill it in together” I proudly handed him a sort of journal called, “Dear Grandad, From You To Me”. You simply go through a process of writing on each page answering the prompts which eventually fills the book with the author’s life story, their memories, knowledge, thoughts and wisdom, in their own words. I just wanted to cherish it forever not knowing what was around the corner. He smiled and said, “I will write in this, but not now…I’m not going anywhere just yet”
I understood, and “not now” just continued into his remission. He was given the all-clear and life was back to normal. The urgency had gone, the anxiety had passed and the book was put in a drawer. Twelve months later, with no warning, my grandad’s cancer returned in his brain and within 3 weeks I had lost my hero and my world fell apart.
How do I continue to face every day of my life without him? What would his advice for me be on getting married and having children of my own? What would he think of my career choices? What would he tell me to do when things get tough? I don’t even know. Because he isn’t here to ask… and he never got the book back out of the drawer. Blank page after blank page.
It haunts me.
I survived. Next year marks 10 years since his passing and life has been filled with happiness and love.
A year after he passed away, I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, lovingly named after my grandad, Ted. He asks about him all the time and I will forever share my stories and my memories of him… but it’s not the same.
I wish I could hand him my grandad’s book to be passed down through the generations so his memory would stay alive and intact forever.
Those pages would have kept him immortal, his words and wisdom in written form to cherish, always. Instead, here I am in a genetic counselling session staring at his name, crossed out. Deceased.
That genetic appointment took place on October 2017 and eight weeks later, I launched Authors & Co with a heart filled with the desire that our legacy is far greater than any diagram.
Sharing our lives greatest moments, deepest thoughts and wisest teachings is not reserved for celebrities, it is for all of us.
Publishing a book is not reserved for those who have their “Submission Accepted” by printing/publishing houses, it is for ALL of us.
Leaving our greatest legacy in book form is for each and everyone one of us, no exception.
For too long we have gifted our personal power to an industry worth billions and let them have the final say on whether our story is worth printing, what complete and utter BS.
Take back your power, do what my grandad never got around to doing and leave a lasting legacy and impact within our world.
Now….not never.
Your past experiences may one day change someone’s life.
Abigail Horne
www. authorsandco.com
I am a woman on a mission to help more people, everyday people like you and me, leave their legacy through sharing their stories and knowledge. An award-winning serial entrepreneur, multiple best-selling author and multiple 6 figure business ownerAuthors & Co is my passion project that’s exploded. Created from a personal anguish of not capturing my Grandad’s legacy on paper I’ve now bridged the gap of self-publishing and traditional publishing, shaking up the industry to help more people get the books that are in them, out. With 100% track record of creating best-selling authors I am super proud of what I’ve brought to market. Having experienced life-changing burnout earlier in my career I now value and protect my energy and am living my true purpose, balancing being a mum of 2 with my business coaching services and Authors & Co.