Three Conversations.
One Life.
Every Letter of Life begins with listening.
Our process is built around three personal interviews — each one focused on a different chapter of a person's life. Together, they form the full story.
The Foundation
“Where did you come from?”
The first conversation is about beginnings. We ask about childhood — the house they grew up in, the sounds and smells they remember, the people who shaped their earliest years. We talk about parents and siblings, about school days and first friendships, about the world they were born into and how it made them who they are.
This is the soil everything else grows from. Before the career, before the marriage, before the children — there was a kid with a story already forming. We start there.
“And then life began.”
The Heart
“What did you build? Who did you love?”
The second conversation goes deeper. We ask about love — how they met the person who changed everything, what the early years of marriage were really like. We talk about careers and callings, about the work that defined them and the work that just paid the bills.
We ask about children, about the proudest moments and the hardest days. This is the part of the story that’s fullest — messy, beautiful, and real. The years that went by too fast. The ones they’d live again if they could.
“What do you want them to know?”
The Legacy
“What do you want to be remembered for?”
The final conversation is the one that matters most. We ask what they’ve learned — about life, about love, about what really counts when everything else falls away. We ask what they want to say to their children. To their grandchildren. We ask about regrets, about gratitude, about the things they’ve never said out loud.
And then we ask the hardest question: if you could leave one message for the people you love, what would it be?
This is the heart of the Letter of Life.
Then, We Write.
After three conversations, we know their story. We sit with everything they've shared — hours of memories, emotions, details that no one else thought to ask about — and we write. Every resident receives two finished pieces:
Biographical Profile
A written portrait capturing the full arc of their life — where they came from, what they built, and who they became. Organized by chapter, written with care.
Letter of Life
A one-page personal letter written entirely in the resident's own voice — as if they sat down and wrote to the people they love. This is the keepsake families treasure most.
Common questions
How a life story gets written down, who it is for, and what it costs.
- What is Letter of Life?
- Letter of Life is a volunteer project that sits with seniors in care, listens, and writes down their life stories. Each person receives a biographical profile and a one-page letter in their own voice.
- How much does a life story interview cost?
- Nothing. Interviews, the written biography, and the Letter of Life are free for the resident and for the senior living community.
- Where do you record life stories?
- We partner with independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing across Greater Philadelphia and South Jersey, including Montgomery County. Facility interviews are by phone or video.
- Can a family preserve a story at home?
- Yes. The At-Home Workbook can be filled out for a loved one or in your own words. You can also tell the story out loud with the AI story guide.
Every person has a story worth preserving.
We just help them tell it.