Memorials and celebrations of life
One life. So many people whose lives they touched.
Everyone who knew them carries something of them that nobody else does. This is a quiet place to gather those memories together, in each person's own words.
Everyone knew a different part of them.
At a funeral you hear stories you have never heard before, from people you have never met. A neighbour, an old colleague, someone they helped years ago without telling anyone. Then everyone goes home, and the stories go with them.
Gathering those memories gives a family something to hold on to: the person as everyone knew them, not only as you did. For many people, writing a memory down is also a small, private way of saying goodbye.
There is no deadline and no right way to do it. People can add a memory when they are ready, whether that is next week or next year.
An illustration with the characters of The Hangover, an affectionate parody not affiliated with Warner Bros
The little things he did.
Remembering Sid Garner
California · Collected for a celebration of Sid's life, imagined years later · 5 people · 15 memories
15 stories
the beach after dark
Linda, Sid's wife · 1968
On our second date Sid drove me to see the ocean and took a wrong turn somewhere past Ventura. He insisted he knew exactly where we were for forty minutes. When we finally found the beach it was dark and cold and there was nothing to see, only the sound of it. We sat in the car with the heater on and he admitted he'd been lost since the gas station. He never admitted that sort of thing to anyone else. I'm not sure he ever did again.
the volcano
Alan, Sid's son · 1980
In fourth grade my science fair volcano went off in the driveway and some of it landed on Mrs. Pruitt's car. Dad walked over with a bucket and a sponge and made me come with him to say sorry. Mrs. Pruitt said it was fine. Dad cleaned the car anyway, including the parts the volcano had not reached. I held the bucket. I don't remember what place I got. I remember the bucket.
in pen
Doug, Sid's son-in-law · 2006
Linda kept a big calendar on the kitchen wall with everyone's birthdays on it. The first Christmas I came, I noticed my birthday was on there, written in pencil. A few months later I came back and it had been gone over in pen. Tracy said it was Sid. He never mentioned it, and I never asked him. I didn't want to make him explain it, and honestly I didn't need him to.
he checked the tires
Tracy, Sid's daughter · The little things he did
Every time I drove somewhere far away, Dad asked whether I'd checked my tires. Even when I was well into adulthood and perfectly capable of checking them myself. I'd say yes before he finished the question. Once, after I'd complained about it to Doug, Dad came out and checked them anyway. He didn't think I was helpless. He just wanted to do one small thing before I went. I've caught myself asking Doug about the tires now. It comes out of my mouth before I even think about it. I hope it always does.
Share a story. A small moment is enough.
His daughter remembers the tyres, his son the batteries, his wife the second cup of tea. Each of them kept a small part of him the others hadn't noticed.
How it works
Free to collect. Free to read. No accounts for anyone you invite.
- 1
Start a collection
Give it a name and say who or what it is about. It takes a minute and it is free.
- 2
Send the link
Share it however your group already talks: WhatsApp, a text, an email, or a QR code on the table.
- 3
Everyone adds what they remember
Written down, or simply spoken aloud and written up for them. Photos too. Nobody needs an account; a name is enough.
- 4
Read it together
Every memory, in each person's own words, kept privately for you and whoever you choose to share it with. Collecting and reading is always free.
Questions that help
You don't have to start with a blank page.
Some people know exactly what they want to say. For others, a gentle question helps. Every one of these can be skipped.
- What is a favourite memory you have of them?
- What small thing about them always made you smile?
- What did they teach you?
- Is there a moment that captures who they were?
- What's the first thing you remember?
- Was there a moment nobody else noticed?
- What would you never want to forget?
Every question is optional. Anyone can skip straight to writing, or talking.
Questions people ask
Is it private?
Yes. Only people you send the link to can see it, and nothing is shown to search engines. You can stop a link working at any time.
Is there a time limit for adding memories?
No. Memories can be added whenever people feel ready. You can also leave it open around an anniversary.
Can someone else set this up on our behalf?
Yes. A friend or relative can create the collection and gather memories, so the closest family do not have to organise anything.
Does it cost anything?
No. Starting a collection, adding memories and reading them is free for everybody.
Who can see what people write?
Only the people you invite. Every collection is private when it is created, nothing is listed publicly or shown to search engines, and you decide whether contributors can read each other's memories.
Is the finished story written by AI?
Yes, and it is held to what people actually said. It works only from the memories you include, quotes people in their own words, and says so plainly where two people remember something differently. It does not invent events, dialogue or feelings. The original memories are always kept underneath, and you can edit anything before it is shared.
Gather what everyone remembers of them.
Create a private collection, share it with the people who knew them, and keep their memories together.
Other kinds of shared experience