I recently had the enormous honour of writing, designing and producing in book form the biography of Kelly Magin on behalf of his wife, Linda. I was acquainted with Kel as a consequence of his purchasing a number of my Christmas books and product that was formerly sold on my website, as well as witnessing firsthand his enormous generosity and integrity as he asked my assistance to help gift three very substantial amounts of money to three people in dire need one Christmas several years back.

Sadly, Kel died a couple of years later and left behind a grieving wife and family, not to mention many close and intimate friends who have grappled to make sense of their huge loss. To help facilitate the process of ‘reasoning’ and grieving, Linda approached me to write Kel’s life story and create a special keepsake book through my biography service ‘The Story of A Life’ which I launched late last year.

Blessed with an enormous array of letters which Linda and Kel shared during their days of courting – they met in Hawaii when Kel was on shore leave from the U.S. Navy and Linda was on holiday from Queensland – I felt so privileged to be able to document what I can only refer to as a ‘great love’ and the life of a man of endless faith and vision who made an enormous impact of the lives of all those around him, not to mention many throughout the world via his business and travels.

Still trying to come to terms with the loss of her beloved husband and father of three adult sons, Linda felt that putting it all down ‘on paper’ in an official book for not only herself but those close to her would not only help in the process of grieving and closure, but would also aid in the journey of moving forward. In addition, she believed it would be the perfect way of honouring Kel’s memory, his endless achievements, his unique character and generosity, his unswerving faith and the amazing journey and story of his short time here on earth. His legacy lives on in his family, the impact he had on all those who interacted with him, the business he created and his many professional and personal accomplishments along the way.

And thus I can certainly confirm it was such an honour to document the life of this very special man, and to have a close and intimate window into the short time he was here. And not only this, I achieved a greater understanding and appreciation of the man and gained a wonderful and enduring friend in dearest Linda.

During the time of writing Kel’s story and putting together the book which I designed and assembled with the inclusion of a vast assortment of photos and images that Linda sourced for the project, I dealt with the beginning of my own journey of processing and grieving the death of my Mum who passed away at the end of November last year.

The writing of Kel’s story was, in some ways, cathartic to the point where I was really able to tap into Linda’s pain and need to ‘bring it together’ to help make sense of it all. Maybe one day the words will come for me too, enabling me to process, make sense, grieve and let go … the ultimate objective being to achieve that special place of acceptance, understanding and peace. That’s the prayer … one of grace and mercy as I hold onto the knowing that there is a hope and future beyond the now. The present may have been shaped by the past, but it doesn’t have to be dictated by it. It truly is a journey of acceptance, letting go, embracing the good, learning the lessons and surrendering the loss and pain.

As I recently stood at my mother’s gravesite, I was blessed with the audible words in my spirit … “enough, enough now.” There’s permission to grieve, permission to let go of past hurts and damages done, permission to find reason and that special, sacred place of acceptance, understanding and peace.

Some of such ‘goals’ I know where achieved by Linda and family in the commissioning and production of Kel’s life story, and it’s the aim of all such biographies I may be blessed to produce on behalf of clients in the future.

I asked Linda if she would be happy to pen a few words about the work I did on Kel’s biography and she honoured me with the following:

“When I thought about writing the story of my husband’s life, I didn’t know where to begin.  That’s why entrusting Kel’s life story to Rick Rutherford was deeply personal and even emotional for me.

“Rick had the extraordinary ability to be able to bring Kel’s life story to the page, to the point that, when I read the final draft, I knew he had totally encapsulated my husband’s life. Rick’s sensitivity and skill ensured that Kel’s story was told in a way that felt personal, true and beautifully reflective of a life that was lived.

“Through every conversation Rick listened with compassion, respect and intention. He understands that a life story isn’t just a ‘timeline’ but a tapestry of your loved one’s character, life events, moments in time, and family which all come together to shape the person. Rick sort to know who my husband was – not just what he did.

“What Rick has given my family is a treasured legacy – a keepsake – a place where Kel’s memories and life will live on; where future generations can come to meet the man we cherished so deeply. 

“I will be forever grateful for Rick’s talent, his patience, his compassion and professionalism.

“If you are considering having your story or your loved one’s story written, I highly recommend Rick Rutherford.  He will honour ‘The Story of A Life’ as it deserves to be treated – with dignity, reverence and grace.”

Indeed I made a wonderful friendship as a consequence of the sacred journey Linda and I shared putting together Kel’s life story and hope to have the opportunity to do so again for anyone wanting to record the story of a life … for family, for a keepsake, or to remember a treasured loved one.

If you’d like to know more, please have a look at ‘The Story of A Life’ via the button above, or get in touch for a chat.

Until next time

Rick xxx