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The gift-giving season is upon us! Hard to believe, but it was almost a decade ago that I got to buy and wrap Christmas presents for my baby girl for the very first time. Back then, the choices were simple. I could walk into a toy store, hit the baby aisle, and come home with piles of toys. Of course, I always had my eye out for the “educational” toys – you know, the kind that promised to stimulate brain development and enhance cognitive skills, etc. Whether the ball popper or lavender-scented octopus stimulated my daughter’s brain, I’m not sure – but she seemed to enjoy them and I felt like I had done my job as both a smart and fun mama.
Now my baby is 9 years old and present buying has become more challenging. She owns, like many children of her generation, a Nintendo DS, so of course games for the system is an obvious gift idea. Again though, there is that challenge every mother faces: to buy gifts that both entertain and educate. If my child is going to spend hours playing a video game, I want to be able to assuage my conscience by knowing she’s learning something while doing it.
UbiSoft’s new Poptropica game checks all the boxes on my “Smart-Mama” and “Fun-Mama” Christmas shopping wish list. Pop-what-ica? You might ask…well, I did too. If (like me) you didn’t know, Poptropica is a virtual world – an on-line role playing game world created by Jeff Kinney. (If that name sounds familiar, fellow parents of 9 year olds, it should – he’s the author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.) A DS game based on a popular virtual world from the guy who writes the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books? You’re sold already, right? Do I really need to even finish this review?
Well, in case you need to hear more…I’ll let the nine year old do the talking from here:
If the squeals of excitement and hours spent holed up in her room are any indication, then Miss A really enjoyed this game. One thing she loves to do is design her own avatars, and Poptropica provides lots of opportunities to create and customize characters. I think players could spend hours and hours on this aspect of the game alone! (As you see in the beginning of the video, when she takes several moments to decide on a character to play, so many choices…)
I hope, as the pre-holiday shopping days dwindle, I’ve helped make things easier by giving you a great gift idea. Poptropica is available at Toys R Us and Amazon. For less than $30, you’ll keep your child entertained, provide a smidgen of conscience-appeasing education, and buy yourself hours of quiet time. What a bargain!
And at the moment, I write paranormal romance. I’m not sure if this category of books had its own place on the shelf 20 years ago…but stroll through a bookstore now (if you are lucky enough to live near one, they are approaching dinosaur status and I mourn each one as it passes) and walking through the paranormal section could take a while. It’s big – and packed with everything from vampires to werewolves, angels to demons, dragons to centaurs (yes, centaurs…or so I’ve heard). This is also where you’ll find the books involving psychic powers, paranormal abilities…and ghosts. And that’s where my book would be found.
So why ghosts? Well, I find it a fascinating subject. Bring up the topic of ghosts at a dinner party and everyone has an opinion: some don’t believe, some aren’t sure but wonder, and some have several stories of their personal ghostly encounters.
Ghost stories tickle that spot of curiosity in me…and give me a supernatural thrill. I remember when I was in grade school I read a book about a girl who is haunted by a dollhouse. The dolls keep re-arranging themselves…I still get chills thinking of the main character hearing the scratching noises of the dolls moving around at night. I don’t want to spoil the ending – so I’ll just say the dolls’ ghostly activities lead to solving an old mystery.
As an adult, I got a thrill from another ghost – of a Scottish Highlander spotted on a dark country lane, staring up at the window of a woman brushing her hair. If you’ve read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, then you might remember this scene. It is quick, and happens early in the book – but that ghostly encounter struck a chord in me…and led me to devour all the books in the series (All 7 of them – with number 8 coming out early next year). Gabaldon is a master storyteller, and her novels are phenomenal…but when it comes down to it, I keep reading because she has promised to one day explain the “why” of this ghost scene…and I hold on – hooked by my desire to see her connect the paranormal dots.
Despite the fact I love a good ghost story, I did not set out to write one of my own…it just sort of happened. One day I sat down for a free writing session and a scene popped into my head – fully formed and crystal clear. A man and a woman were sitting in a Victorian parlor of some kind but were dressed in modern clothes. The man was trying to explain to the woman that he was a ghost hunter, and she wasn’t buying it.
“I’m not joking Devyn.” Ronan’s voice was cold. Not cruel, just devoid of any emotion.
“Yeah, I get it. You’re for real. A real live, walking talking ghost buster. Ok, ok. So, do you like have some kind of laser thing that traps little green guys who terrorize hotel guests?”
His left eyebrow lifted quizzically.
“You know, a ghost buster. You catch ghosts in some kind of metal trap, using…I don’t know, electro-magnetic energy or something.”
His right eyebrow rose to join the left.
Not every scene in the book came to me this easily…far from it – but the bones of the story developed organically from this first conversation.
One other element of my story that came like lightning out of the sky was my title. But in this case I was able to do a little detective work to figure out how my sub-conscious managed to come up with To Catch A Fetch . It has a familiar ring to it, for one…an echo of another title – but my story is not remotely similar to the Hitchcock film or the book it was based on. The other piece pf the puzzle popped into place when I was watching an old episode of X-Files, in which a series of ghosts haunt an autistic man. At one point in the episode Mulder refers to a ghost as a “fetch. ” Scully, the constant skeptic, is given some food for thought when she has her own ghostly encounter (in a chill-worthy scene!). If you haven’t seen the episode, boot up the Netflix and check it out. I call it the “She is Me” episode, but it is actually titled, “Elegy.” (Season 4, episode 22).
And that’s why I write ghost stories. Some may question why I write paranormal romance at all – it is seen as a dying breed, a genre past its prime…paranormal writers new to the scene have no hope of selling a book in a saturated market, blah blah blah. Well, I’ll tell you – I write paranormal romance because I follow the old rule: write what you want to read. I write about what fascinates me, what intrigues me…and what I’d like to find on a shelf while strolling down the bookstore aisles.
I’m feeling blue, and bummed, and just kind of blah.
As a way to shake myself out of this mental hole I’ve dug for myself and get back on track, I created my own little motivational poster. The picture is of Miss A running along the Lake Michigan shore line, fast and free with the whole world waiting to be conquered. I love this picture. Love it for the moment in time it captures, the memory, and the promise it whispers each time I look at it.
The quote is something I made up by accident in an e-mail to someone. I’m sure similar things have been said in similar ways, and sure it’s a little greeting-card-esque. But it’s true.
Get up and get moving. Dreams don’t catch themselves.
Yay! It’s actually Friday! The only reason I’m on time with this post is because I missed my morning spin work-out at the gym.
1. The reason my butt is sitting in front of the computer now instead of on a stationary bike while I cry and swear (the Friday instructor is cruel, but she gets results) is because I ran late trying to tame the monster that is Lil’ G’s hair. My youngest child is blessed and cursed with my mane of wild red curls and, like her personality, getting it to obey is a monumental task. It also involves tears and swearing. Though I won’t say which of us does what.
2. On the subject of crazy red hair, I am taking my girls to see the new Disney movie BRAVE this weekend. Lil’ G intends to wear Merida’s dress to the theatre (Also: Halloween costume, check). The girl is such a dead ringer for the character, I wouldn’t be surprised if she ends up signing autographs. I am looking forward to seeing the film too; yay for kick-ass red head heroines!
3. Every kick-ass heroine needs to start her day with a great breakfast, right? Well, Merida is Scottish, and Scots are known for loving their morning bowl of porridge. Me, I prefer the Swiss version. The Swiss are known for excellent chocolate, time pieces, and – I’d like to add – oatmeal. A month or so ago the family had breakfast at the Corner Bakery and I made the life-changing decision to order the Swiss Oatmeal. Ok, it wasn’t life-changing…but it was really good! So good I consulted the mighty Google to find a copy-cat recipe. Here are a few of my favorites:
4. While enjoying a yummy healthy breakfast of Swiss Oatmeal, you’d think it would be pleasant to hear the sound of birds chirping, right? Sure…as long as the chirping isn’t coming from your effing chimney. We recently discovered we have birds living in our chimney. The good news, I suppose, is the fact they are living – I’ve heard horror stories of dead things caught in chimneys (and no, I’m not talking about that ridiculous Santa story from Gremlins). It was the husband’s turn to consult the mighty Google, and he learned that we have a family of Chimney Swifts living with us. At first I was annoyed, but now Chester (yes, my family named at least one of the chimney chirpers) has become a part of our daily routine – we hear him happily chirping and fluttering away. Besides, even if I wanted to hire a sweep to clean out the chimney and the nest – it is against the law to do so…Chimney Swifts are a protected species, and advocates suggest homeowners do what they can to make their chimneys more accommodating for the migrating birds. Like in this article: Being A Good Chimney Swift Landlord. Um…I’m not going to kick the ones that have moved in out…but I’m not hanging a welcome mat out on my roof either, thank you very much. Apparently, as a local newspaper explained, while the bird is becoming rare in other parts of the country, it is thriving here in the Mid-West. Well, I hope Chester and his family enjoys his stay. He better not poop too much in there.
5. While birds in the chimney turned out to be not frustrating enough to earn a spot in Appliance Hell, the same week we discovered Chester, our a/c went on the fritz. Lucky for us, I noticed it just before we left for vacation, so we were able to make an appointment for as soon as we came home. Even luckier, it was a not-too-expensive or time-consuming fix, and the a/c was working again in time for the nasty heat wave that hit earlier this week. If you notice your air conditioner is running normally, but the air coming out of the vents is not cool, it might be your capacitor (no, not a flux capacitor…though wouldn’t that be cool). It’s a thing that kind of looks like a pop-can sized 9-volt battery.
Sometimes the capacitor will "pop" - and that's what ours looked like: a pop can that exploded.
Apparently it’s possible to fix this problem yourself, if interested check out this post on Do It Yourself HVAC Repair. I prefer to pay someone who knows what they’re doing…who, in this case, turned out to be a former student of mine. I still live in the area I used to teach high school, and occasionally will run into old students (and by old, they really are getting old – with jobs and kids and oh, God…that makes me really old!). This young man asked me if ever taught at so-and-so school, and of course I had, and though I didn’t remember his name immediately, I recalled who he was once we talked for a minute. Thank goodness he liked me as a teacher (or at least, he didn’t hate me). I suppose if he held any grudges, it would have been easy to make me sweat a little…literally.
And with that horrible pun, I shall wish you a happy Friday and hope you have a cool, relaxing bird-free weekend.
Yes, it’s Saturday. I understand. If I keep this up eventually I will need to do one of 2 things: change “Friday Five” to “Saturday Six,” or just get my sh*t together and post on Friday.
1. Vacations: After Lil’ G (our 2nd and last offspring) was born, the husband and I decided we wanted to provide something that was missing from most of our own childhoods: the annual summer trip. For three years running now, we kick off our summer with a few days spent a couple hours north at a hotel off the shores of Lake Michigan. We play on the beach, lounge and read on the deck, explore the odd little shops in the small downtown area, and go for long walks on the pier. The husband and I drink too much booze, the girls eat too much ice cream. It is a glorious way to make memories and recharge our batteries. We’ve already booked our trip for next year, and I am already looking forward to it!
2: The One That Started it All: My reading material this vacation was also a little trip down memory lane. On a recent trip to HalfPriceBooks I came across the first romance novel I ever read. I was 13, and babysitting for a trio of boys who I can probably blame for early gray hair. After the heathens were in bed I noticed a paperback sitting on top of the t.v. The cover certainly caught my attention (keep in mind I was really into the show The Young Riders at the time):
The book had a stubborn redhead, a surly hot half-Cheyenne, and sex on a horse. What’s not to love? After that I cleaned my library out of Lindseys, which, if you read romance, you know – is a lot of books. Ignoring the dirty looks from the librarians who must not have approved of a junior high girl reading massive amounts of “smut,” I moved on to the the other big names of that era like Catherine Coulter and Jude Deveraux, then in high school I fell in love with EVERYTHING from Laura Kinsale. I know the man-titty covers get a lot of grief, and while I was reading Savage Thunder this past week I often found myself hiding the cover and feeling some of the awkwardness this mom describes in a recent post on Smart Bitches…but I will just come out and say it-if the book had the cover it currently sports (as seen on the HarperCollins page HERE) my 13-year old self might have passed right over it and flipped on the t.v instead, hoping to catch an episode of The Young Riders. Oh, what a world I would have missed.
3. On Writing: So not only did reading that first romance novel inspire a life-long habit of reading more romance novels, it also planted the seeds of aspiration to write my own. Along with lofty summer writing goals involving word count and BICHOK time (Butt In Chair Hands On Keyboard for those of you not in the know), I have decided I will try and read a “craft” book a week. Lucky for me I have started with a great one. On Writing by Stephen King is a great read in and of itself, fascinating for the story King tells aside from the writing commentary. I knew I was going to love this book the moment I read the first line of the second foreword (there are actually 3 forewords in the book, the guy can do what he wants – this is Stephen King after all). King states, “This is a short book because most books about writing are filled with bullsh*t.” If the book is short on pages, it isn’t short on great advice. It is loaded with gems any writer would do well to stash in their treasure box. Like this one, which I want to kiss him for, because I understand exactly what he is saying:
Let’s get one thing clear right now, shall we? There is no Idea Dump, no Story Central, no Island of the Buried Bestsellers; good story ideas seem to come quite literally from nowhere, sailing at you right out of the empty sky: two previously unrelated ideas come together and make something new under the sun. Your job isn’t to find these ideas but to recognize them when they show up.
Then there’s this advice he passes on to us, from his boss at a newspaper job:
When you write a story, you’re telling yourself the story. When you rewrite, your main job is taking out all the things that are not the story. Write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open.
As I said, the book is full of this kind of good stuff, but you’ll have to read it for yourself. I do want to note one other thing though, King does a lovely job describing how he owes much of his success as a writer to his wife’s unwavering support:
Whenever I see a first novel dedicated to a wife (or a husband), I smile and think, There’s someone who knows. Having someone who believes in you makes a lot of difference. They don’t have to make speeches. Just believing is enough.
I am so very blessed in this respect as well. My husband has offered me nothing but staunch support for my writing. He makes me want to work hard to be worthy of his unwavering belief in my ability.
4. Rejection: Recently I experienced what I know many, if not all, writers go through: the dreaded rejection letter. I know writing, like acting, is full of moments like this – moments people will say: sorry, but your work isn’t “right.” Whatever their reasons are, it still hurts. King talks about how he collected his rejection slips on a nail hammered to his bedroom wall. Many famous, talented, epic writers were told their work wasn’t “right.” The secret to their success is they kept on writing anyway, and so will I.
5. The BEST Summer/Salad: Let’s leave rejection behind and move on to happier things, like food. A few weeks ago I attended a picnic and tasted the most amazing dish. It was incredible, and though I stopped myself from going back for thirds, it wouldn’t have been too horrible if I did – the recipe is actually healthy. I tracked the bringer of amazingness down and found out she got the recipe from Barefoot Contessa (whom I adore). If you want to wow your taste buds and make every person at a summer picnic worship you as a pot-luck goddess, you need to check this recipe out: Guacamole Salad.
Let’s pretend not to notice how long it’s been since I wrote a FFF post, shall we? I’d like to say this is the start of a more regular blogging schedule, but the self-recrimination I’ll indulge in when I don’t manage to follow through may be too overwhelming. So I hope you enjoy today’s Friday Fast Five…I also hope it’s not another five months before I do it again.
1. Summer Reading Clubs: One of my favorite things about summer is lazy afternoons spent with a book. For me, reading time is a reward in and of itself. But for kids, who have so many other things tempting their time, a broader external reward system may be required. Which is why I love summer reading programs. First, check your local library-they are sure to have a great summer reading plan with lots of fun incentives. Miss A and Lil’ G are headed over to our library this weekend for their Summer Reading kick-off. The library even has a program for adults that includes raffles for e-readers and other great prizes.
Lil' G, showing off her new library card!
Though Borders is no more (our local one is still a big empty space of sad), other bookstores have great programs. Check out Barnes&Noble’s Summer Reading program. Kids get a reading journal you can print out straight from the website to keep track of the books they read throughout the summer. When they finish, they can turn it in and receive a free book from a specified list. Last year Miss A was excited to receive the 39 Clues book penned by Rick Riordan.
My favorite summer reading program for kids is the one HalfPriceBooks runs. Print out the monthly reading tally sheet and keep track of your child’s reading time. At the end of each month (June, July & August), your young readers can turn in the sheets in exchange for a $5 HPB giftcard. If you’ve shopped at HalfPriceBooks before, you know that five bucks can buy alot. Also, the tally sheets are entered in a monthly contest: the reader who logs the most book time from each age group scores a $20 giftcard. Getting my girls to love reading has a secret selfish motive, it means they won’t bother me when I’m doing it- and we can all enjoy doing this:
2. On the topic of reading: I was recently turned on (ha! pun kind of intended) to Roni Loren’s Loving on the Edge series. I have yet to read the first in the series, Crash Into You, but bought the newly released novella Still Into You, because A:the premise of a married couple who still love each other, but have lost the passion in the scramble of daily life, and B: Roni is hosting a sweet contest on her blog right now, send her proof you purchased Still Into You, and you’re entered to win your choice of some snazzy prizes. Check it out – contest ends Tuesday, June 12th. I’d wish you luck, but I want to win too. ETA: See my quick review of Still Into You over on GoodReads.
3. Summer Bucket List on Pinterest: An admitted Pinterest-addict, I have been controlling myself and spending much less time on that visual smorgasbord (and, spending way too much time on Twitter instead-yes, I realize I’ve traded one vice for another). Which is perhaps part of the reason my newest pinboard is looking so naked. I am committed to giving my girls a healthy dose of chill out and do whatever the heck you want time (because, in this overscheduled world we live in, kids don’t get enough of that), but I also want to make some great summer memories doing cool, silly, creative, wild things. I’ve got the usual planned: time at the lake, strawberry picking, plein air painting at the botanic garden…but need some new ideas to wow ’em (and me too). If you have some fun summer activities, please let me know so I can fill my summer calendar and my lonely pinboard!
4. Plan to make the most of the summer: as a mom and a writer: Ok, so as noted above, I‘ve got the am getting a plan in place to make the most of this summer in my mom role…but how about that other role? Finding writing time is already a struggle with only 1 kid home, now that both girls will be home 24/7 (school ended today)-my time will once again be owned by two demanding redheads. Short of plugging them into Netflix all day, I need a plan to keep them active while building my word count…here are some ideas:
A- a fantastic, fabulous friend with a giant new swing set in a fenced backyard has offered to have the girls over for playdates for a few hours at least once a week. There is a Starbuck’s right down the street from her house, where I can park it and type, but still be close enough to rescue her if my kids get to be too much.
B- even though I was looking forward to sleeping past 6am since I’m not obligated to spend the first waking hour of my day making hot, brain-building breakfasts and packing trash-free lunches, I am thinking a few times a week I need to plan to get up at the usual 6am and write for at least an hour before Miss A and Lil G make their morning appearance. I’d say I’ll try and get up at 5, but I don’t want to set myself up for failure.
C- Break up fun days with writing days. One day a week I plan to have a “big fun” day scheduled, where I take the girls and we do something active, creative, and adventurous. Hit the stuff on my bucket list (see above). To balance that, one day a week shall be a “chill” day, when the girls can lay around in pj’s, watch t.v., play video games, raid the snack pantry, and leave Mama alone to write, write WRITE. I will leave my computer to check on them periodically, you know, when I need another cup of coffee. Knowing I have at least 1 day a week dedicated to each “goal” will help relieve some of my stress (I hope).
5. My Nutella breakfast that actually IS low-cal and healthy: So I recently discovered Nutella (I blame Pinterest) and have fallen hard for it’s wicked yumminess. Eating an entire jar of the stuff for breakfast is not going to jive with my efforts to drop some pounds, but I have found a happy (and delicious) compromise. My new favorite breakfast: a whole-wheat sandwich thin (100 calories) or whole-wheat bagel thin (110 calories), spread with 1 tblsp of Nutella (1/2 a tablespoon on each side of the thin) this is only 1/2 a serving of Nutella, so it only totals 100 calories (and if you lick the knife, I won’t tell). Then top each nutella-smeared thin with some fresh strawberry slices (there is only around 50 calories in a cup of fresh strawberry halves, so go ahead and pile a few extra berries on your plate to make it pretty). Did you do your math? This yummy, nutella-y, fruity, breakfast is only 250 calories.
Sweet heaven on a plate. You can save your sinning for after breakfast.
Many of you, like me, probably had your first introduction to Mr. Bradbury in a high school English class, reading Fahrenheit 451. By the way, I’d also like to take a moment to say thank you to Mr. Hansen, my Soph Honors Eng teacher, for including this book among the many others our class read, discussed, and felt-sometimes love, sometimes hate…but always passionate-about.
A few years later I was cast as the extraterrestrial Ylla in a production of The Martian Chronicles at Stage 2 Theatre in Bradbury’s hometown of Waukegan, IL. This was an exciting project for me. I was only 17, and it was my first “real” show-meaning it had a run of longer than a few weeks and I actually earned a paycheck (a pathetically SMALL paycheck, but it was still really cool!). Playing a martian who could converse through telepathy was an interesting role. I got to do some voice-over work for my “mental dialogue” that was then played during the show. Quite the learning experience! To top it off, Bradbury, known for his loyalty to his roots, provided the vocal narration for the production, in a series of recordings that were played as each scene transitioned from one to the next, following the episodic chapters of MC. I have a newspaper clipping with a picture of me as Ylla, along with my Martian husband, Yll-but I have no clue where it is hiding, or even if still have it. This production was nearly 20 years ago, and I’ve had no luck finding details about it on the interwebs either. 20 years ago, or not – I can still remember kneeling on stage in the dark, waiting for the show to begin. The strange musical arrangement created for the show began: a blend of wind chimes and other discordant yet harmonious sounds that silenced the audience more effectively than the house lights going down. Then, as the stage lights slowly grew brighter, the voice of Bradbury described the scene, and I slipped more fully into the skin of my character.
That Bradbury was a literary titan is inarguable-who knows just how far and wide the impact of his words were felt: just take a look at this article in The Guardian, and you’ll see what I mean. From President Obama to Stephen King, he influenced the minds and imaginations of so many, who exponentially influenced many more. His life was is a testament to the power of words, and the significance of an engaging story.
During the first 17 days of All Things Irish I talked about how much fun Miss A had taking her American Girl Doll Nellie (an Irish immigrant) along to her first feis. Nellie, of course, was dressed in her Irish dance duds too.
My favorite part of the outfit is the shoes - those tiny ghillies are adorable!
Unfortunately, the AG Irish Dancer outfit is no longer sold (there’s always e-bay!). Over at Build-A-Bear, however, you can get a cute Irish Dancer dress for $12.50. I have had some luck with B-A-B stuff fitting American Girl Dolls, so it’s worth a try if you can’t find the AG version (or if the price is too outrageous).
And speaking of American Girl dolls, for Miss A’s b-day last year we took her and Nellie to American Girl Place and let them have some fun in a photo session:
Isn't this so cool?!? The doll's outfit came with a matching head piece for Miss A too.
And since I mentioned tiny ghillies – check out these mini Barbie-sized ghillies! (And if you don’t know what “ghillies” are, take a look as this post from last years All Things Irish).
Miss A has the Irish Dancer Barbie, and this Irish Princess Barbie:
Ok, I admit, I haven't let her play with this Barbie - she is just too pretty to take out of the box!
Speaking of pretty Irish Princess Barbies, apparently, there are LOTS of them!
If you’d like your American Girl doll to be Celtic Princess too, check out some of the gorgeous outfits I found on Amazon:
The seller is Carpatina LLC, and they have some AMAZING dresses for AG size dolls…there are many more I love (but I need to remember I’m not buying them for me…I was never into dolls as a kid, so I must be making up for it now or something).
I mean, look at this one: A French Medieval Dress with Cape? I want to wear this myself!
I’ll try to control the impulse to do some internet shopping, and see you tomorrow for Day 4!
It’s Monday…need I say more? OK…here in the MidWest it’s that nasty “Wintry Mix” weather outside today. You know, that stuff that sounds like a tasty snack but is actually disgusting slush that is extremely unpleasant to walk through. Also, on the family agenda tonight – shopping for new cell phones. (Visiting the phone store w/children in tow has to be a circle in hell, maybe 2 circles: 1 for the parents, and another for the other customers who can’t stand my noisy-touch-everything-in-sight kids). On days like today, I’d love to just curl up with a book and take a mental vacation…even for a few minutes. Now I’m thinking about books and vacation and remembering how delicious it is to sit in the sun, out by the lake with a good book and no schedule – oh, man – now I REALLY need that mental vacation!
I’ve hooked Miss A on the reading = escape equation. She is always snuggling up in my papasan for some reading time, and here she is from this past summer, indulging in one of my favorite vacation activities:
Like Mama, like daughter 🙂
Hope you find a few minutes this Monday to take your own mental vacation!
This photo has been entered in the I Heart Faces weekly photo challenge. This week’s theme is By the Book.
No, I’m not referencing the Rob Base song from the 1980’s here…this reference goes back further…to 1923, when Lebanese-born American artist, philosopher and writer Khalil Gibran published a book 0f 26 poetic essays entitled The Prophet. I can’t recall when I came across Gibran’s work…whether it was in a philosophy class, or an early 20th century American-Lit class…but either way, I would have been in my late teens-very early twenties. Even at that relatively young age, a line caught my attention and held it…and I have never forgotten it since.
Those words have helped me through some rough moments, such as when my maternal grandmother passed away and when I nearly lost my father a few summers ago.
So often you hear people who have gone through severe hardship or experienced tremendous loss talk of the joy they find in the little things they once never took notice of. They appreciate more. In an ironic twist of humanity, their loss enriches their lives in a way people who live relatively tragic-free lives could never experience.
I would never wish for pain or desire tragedy…but I do find comfort in understanding the truth in Gibran’s quote. And though these words certainly did not ease the pain of loss or make their experience any easier – that’s not what this is about. The moments in my life that have brought me the most sorrow have indeed left room to:
Melonie Johnson 
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