From Start to Finish by (not Tamera) but Joe Alexander
A year ago, my husband, Joe, felt a strong nudge to begin writing down some of his—and our—family history for our grandchildren, Leo and Ari.
As he wrote, he found himself sharing lessons he hopes to one day teach each of them himself, Lord willing. Yet knowing that none of us will be here forever, he was grateful for the opportunity to put pen to paper.
Early on, I read his first few pages, then chapters, and encouraged him to keep going, knowing how much I would treasure such insights into my grandparents or great-grandparent’s lives. To have a written record of their experiences, their reflections on the successes and failures in their lives, to have a window into their hopes and dreams, and, most importantly, into their faith journey with the Lord. What a gift that would be.
In short, the words kept coming, and the pages and old photographs kept accumulating, until they finally turned into something far more than Joe ever imagined at the outset…
Thanks to Ken Raney (Deb’s oh-so-talented husband) for helping us create the cover. Joe originally had an image of a young boy setting out on a journey in his mind. The boy was headed to catch a train, carrying a man’s briefcase and wearing a suit that was a bit too large for him. MidJourney and Ken helped bring that image to life.
As Joe shares in the book, “If I’ve learned anything at this point on my journey, it’s that the less we focus on helping ourselves and the more we focus on helping others, the more we accomplish—and the more meaningful and satisfying our life’s journey is.”
One early reader comments, “It may not have been the author’s intention, but the golden thread that runs through Joe’s memoir is gratitude. Living a life of gratitude may be the best lesson his grandchildren will learn from this book! (Carol Jones)” And I agree. Writing a book is a journey (just as reading one is), and God met Joe on the page time and time again, and he’s richer for the experience.
I appreciate the honesty and humility in Joe’s writing, along with his trademark sense of humor. Good-natured sarcasm is almost considered a spiritual gift in our family, LOL, so be forewarned. And while I wouldn’t classify his narrative as oversharing exactly, you’ll definitely know far more about our last forty years together than you may want to. But hey, if someone can learn from our mistakes and missteps, if they can be encouraged by how God, in his mercy, has led us through some difficult times, I say share away, babe!
Of course, I’m proud of Joe for this accomplishment. But far more, I’m grateful that our grands, once they’re grown and perhaps become curious about who came before them—which often happens later in a person’s life—will have this collection of life lessons and personal insights that will, prayerfully, help them to walk more closely with the Lord.
Have you recorded life lessons or family history for your children or grandchildren? If not, perhaps this will encourage you to do just that. Do you have written memories from your grandparents or great-grandparents about their lives—their faith struggles and experiences? If you do, what a treasure!
Happily immersed in rewrites in my chilly corner of Nashville,
Tammy
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I’ve almost finished Joe’s book and I am enjoying it SO much! It brings back lots of memories for me since he mentions things that were iconic in my own childhood. I wish with all my heart that I had something like this from my own grandparents! What a treasure this will be for Leo and Ari! And yes, I’m a little prejudiced, but I do LOVE the cover!
Thanks, Deb, and thanks, too, for your encouragement to him early on in the process. That meant so much to him. And a big Amen. I would soooooo love to have something from my ancestors like this. Especially going back into the childhood, how they were raised by their parents, etc… It was good for me to walk back through our 40+ years together as well and remember all that God has done.
I am reading Joe’s book, but slowly, savoring it. I’m loving the glimpses into his life but also it brings up memories of my own which is also a blessing.
Thanks, Robin. That’s been a common theme from early readers… That reading From Start to Finish has stirred their own memories and caused them to remember and be more grateful. I love that.
What a wonderful gift this book will be to your grandchildren and future generations! I interviewed my grandmother and my mother before they passed away, but I wish I had more information about their lives.
My oldest daughter bought me a one-year subscription to Storyworth for my 60th birthday, and once I finished writing weekly stories about my life over the course of a year, Storyworth compiled them into a beautiful hardback keepsake book. I purchased a copy for each of my three children last Christmas. They were all thrilled to get them, and my son almost cried.
I’ve heard of Storyworth, Deena, and know a friend who’s doing that right now. I love that you did that for your kids. What a treasure for them and generations to come.
Congratulations to Joe. I’m sure your family will treasure this.
My brother is putting together pictures and information about our parents. He bought our family home after my father passed away. While my sister and I helped him go through all of the rooms in the house, he has been tackling both attics, uncovering many memories.
Since I lost my husband two years ago, I have catalogued all of his sermons during his 12 years as a Methodist pastor, his last career before retiring in 2014.
Oh Betty, I love the thought of forgotten boxes in attics. I love going through old photos and letters, diaries and journals, receipts and documents from long years past. Good for you on cataloguing all of your husband’s sermons. That’s a lot of work! And again, a treasure for your family. Thanks for sharing today, friend.
Mark & I just read this & will order right now ☺️
Aw, thanks, Wendy. I’m sending a hug to you and Mark, and wish we could meet for dinner. There’s a chance we’ll be coming to CO this year sometime. We’d love to reconnect with you guys, if we do. Hope you enjoy From Start to Finish.
Warmest congratulations to Joe! I think it’s fabulous that he took the time to write this book. What a labor of love!
Absolutely, Becky, and thanks, friend.
I love this so much! Of course at my age there is so much I wish I could go back and ask my grandparents. And I need to do a better job of asking my parents things, too! I would love to do something similar one day for my grandchildren!
You definitely should, D’Ann. They would definitely treasure it one day. Joe ended up with 65 life lessons woven throughout—one for every year he’s lived so far. Lots of spiritual truth and candid advice. I hope they’ll take it to heart as they grow.
Interesting that you would write about this today.
My husband turned 80 and retired at the end of last summer.
Our children sent him a ‘gift’ of questions for every week this year.
The questions were lots of fun the first couple of months but now they are much more thought provoking. This week’s question was, What difficult life experience have you had and what have you learned from it? This has been a challenge but also helpful for us to understand ways we have grown and changed.
Our children have enjoyed the process.
I am Proud of Joe for his accomplishment! So valuable!
How cool, Jen, and how valuable for your kids and grands, and family to come. And even family and friends in the present. Sharing our journeys with each other enriches all our lives and brings such glory to God for his faithfulness and steadfastness. Good for you guys for doing this, because it does involve both of you, doesn’t it? It’s caused both me and Joe to do a lot of reflecting, which always prompts immense gratitude to God.
Hats off to your hubby, Tammy. The family will appreciate it so much. I had the privilege to ask my mother questions a few years ago. I’m so glad I did, she passed away 2 1/2 months later. I put everything in a book and set it to my siblings. They were thrilled.
I have to tell you a funny. My maiden name is Fudge. While I’m talking to Mom, I realized that she, at the age of eighteen, made a trip during World War II. I asked her about it, and she said, “Oh, I dated a soldier.” That got my attention. She went on and said, “And his name was Pickle.” I almost threw the tablet I was writing on across the room then said, “Mom, what are the chances? You dated a Pickle and married a Fudge. She smiled and said, “I’d never thought of that.” I still laugh every time I think about that story. And from asking my mom questions, I teach a Creative Writing class where we spend the winter. It is so much fun helping others write their memoirs.
Janetta, I LOVE THAT! So funny on the Pickle and Fudge. What a treasure to have had the opportunity (and foresight, good for you!) to ask your mom those questions, then to capture her responses for posterity. Such a blessing. Thanks for sharing, my friend! Thanks, too, for teaching that class and helping writers improve their craft, especially with writing memoirs.