Family Love Letters Testimonials
Thank you for being an instigator of the wisest thing I accomplished all year!
— Laura S.
My dad came over yesterday and gave me the letter. I just read it in my quiet morning space and am in tears. He is as wise and eloquent as ever and I so much appreciate his depth of thought and insight...which doesn’t always have a voice these days in our quick and hectic times together. Thank you for giving him the space and time to make these thoughts into something I can hold in my hands.
— Wendi S.
“This is a family treasure. Our letter is something that’s permanent and will always be there to come home to.”
— Ann R.
With Aviva’s talented guidance, my mother and I each wrote letters. The process of having written it might be even more meaningful than having the document itself. It made me focus on the things that are important. Since working together I am much more deliberate about the choices I make with my remaining time and resources. It has, in that not small way, changed my life..
I see it as the beginning - rather than the end - of a conversation with my kids.
— Sara K.
I couldn’t have done this without you. You made it comfortable for me to share my life experiences. On my own, writing a family letter would have been a never-ending process.
Hearing you read it to me, I kept thinking, “Did I write that?” I know those words came out of my head and my heart and it feels great. This is as much a letter to myself as to my son. I want to return to it as a reminder both of how I felt at this time and of how to live.
Your structure made it so there was a beginning, a middle and an end. You asked really good questions for thinking about what’s important and what life experiences I wanted to share and what wisdom I wanted to impart.
— Lynn S.
“You created a dynamic relationship with me and that’s not easy to come about. The depth of feeling I have just listening to you reading my letter to me is unbelievable. I’ve always wanted to do something like this, but I couldn’t have done this on my own. I never had the discipline to finish, though I have started. And without you, I would have focused on my projects and accomplishments and would have steered away from the depth. You kept me on course and recognized my inner self. You asked things in a certain way to get to those kernels of what life is. I can read it in my letter. I could not have done that on my own. I didn’t expect this to be something that would come out of me. You did your job very well!
— Ed S.
Aviva provided the framework, the questions, the conversations and the support. I had wanted to do something like this for a while, but didn’t have a way to start or structure it. I had thought, “How am I going to do that?”
The process was excellent in every way and Aviva made it easy, fun and interesting.
I realized during our conversations that we had to separate the garbage from the good stuff. You asked leading questions and kept at it until we got at the answers. Otherwise, we might have ended up with something hollow that wouldn’t have accomplished what I had wanted.
The lessons and messages I’ve written in this letter are emotional and directive, and I’m pleased without how it came out.
— Sheila S.
The idea of doing this was scary. Can I capture it? Can I do it? I came out acknowledging that I have wisdom.
— Charles Etta
“Wow, I am so glad you wrote this, Mom. It captures so much of your life and background. It makes me so happy to have all of this in one place. It must have also been satisfying to write, and thinking about you writing it gives me so much peace. Thanks for being a source of bottomless energy and optimism.”
— Anne S.
"We're so grateful our kids gave us this gift because it accomplished at least two important tasks: we engaged in meaningful reflection on our lives and the lessons learned, and easily facilitated the communication of the life events we experienced and our guidance to our children and grandchildren.”
— Francine & Phil G.
Initially, it felt like, “Is this going to be worth it?” Aviva helped my mom (pictured to the right) recover memories, collect them and preserve them. It’s not just the letter. Looking at the experience -- the whole journey -- there were so many gems. My mom looked forward to each call with Aviva. Afterwards, she would tell me stories that I hadn’t heard before. These discussions were new and exciting for both of us.
— Celeste T.
“My favorite part is your teacher telling you that you could live on a desert island. I love that because it's TRUE and I can imagine how empowering that must have been--one of those interactions that stays with you your whole life. Of course, you have chosen to do the opposite of living on a desert island, choosing a life full of engagement with other people, more specifically helping them to thrive. I love hearing you articulate your own vision of your life and your ethics. This is a very generous letter that I know I will reread many times. Thank you for writing it.”
— Molly S.
It was with great pleasure that I sent the letter to our three children. It represents a memory that should last for generations. Just imagine if I had documents from my grandfather telling me the story of his life. Priceless. Your work was superb and I can see that you will make many families very happy.
— Oscar S.
“You did an incredible job of capturing who I am and who we are as a family. I went in thinking this would be a gift for my children. It’s turned out to be a gift for me, as well...one I’ll treasure forever.”
— Gail L.
Genealogy is a hobby and I love the idea of having something written by my parents. Buying a $99 online service wouldn’t get it done. Dad would want to do it, but wouldn’t. So Family Love Letters was a way to get my parents through it with a process I knew they would enjoy.
Even if you’ve heard dozens of stories told dozens of times, you learn something new! There were small things that I didn’t know or hadn’t thought of in that way (described in the letter). My grandmother died just three weeks after I was born. I knew my mom had had a hard time, but I had never thought about just how difficult it was at the time. Reading my parents' letters gave me a better understanding of who they are and how their experiences have shaped me, in turn, both individually and as a parent.
— Lori W.
My niece, Amy, gifted Family Love Letters to me because she wanted to get a hold of family stories. We are a family of stories and she wanted to get things pulled into one voice voice and in one place. Having Aviva ask me questions and talking about family stories was like strengthening medicine. Aviva clearly listened to what was being said and allowed things to flow freely out of the mist of memory. Hearing my letter felt like a celebration of the gratitude I have for my family relationships. My siblings received a copy of the letter and thought it was really wonderful. For me, the process of writing this letter was a way of cultivating and celebrating the trust and closeness we have as a family.
— Jeff C.
I gave my parents an experience. It was a gift for them to be able to talk about their lives. Giving them this Family Love Letter, they know we care enough about their story to gift it. My parents are family-centric and I know they would appreciate the continuity these letters provide. Even their parents would be happy! It’s a continuation of familial connection. My mother and my father-in-law didn’t have easy childhoods, but their experiences still matter for the grandchildren. Those stories are part of the grandchildren’s stories.
— Annie S
During Covid, we realized that a great many of our elders were heavily impacted. Thankfully, our parents were OK, but it was time to have their thoughts and stories recorded. I believed then and now that a third party is best equipped to do that. We knew it would be a fun project and it was! We loved the final letter. It covered ground that we knew and we also learned a lot. Aviva is a great questioner and was able to capture their spirit. We appreciate that she didn’t erase their intention or voice. It felt very real to who they are. My parents really enjoyed the process and it was cathartic in sharing their stories and in knowing that they would be there after they were gone. Family Love Letters is a great company and opportunity for families to create this lasting memory together. I highly recommend it!
— Amie O.
This might be the greatest gift I have ever received. I can’t thank you enough for guiding me through such an incredible experience. You were so supportive and you made the process and letter really flow.
— David L.
I know that my father felt proud to share his story and Family Love Letters delivered a celebration of his life directly to me. Aviva was able to capture my father's life story, in his own words, from the repression he experienced under Peronism/the politics of his country, to his mother's religiousness, windows into his history are opened for generations of family. A picture of my father's life is painted on paper, -- his every joy, influence, and inspiration are illustrated in one swoop!
— Alicia S.