 Dear Aunt Mattie,
I began editing your short stories today. I feel your presence in my life every day, as you are and have always been my directional North, but today you were closer than you've been since I lost you. Your strong, clear, gentle voice whispers to me from the pages of your stories and remind me of little girl dreams held long in stasis while the world spins out around her. Now, in this quiet space, your little girl dreams and mine converge on this single point in time. As I read through each carefully crafted tale, it feels like opening up a book for the very first time, sinking into the story, savoring each word bit by bit, and realizing at the end that this book has now become a "favorite" because of where it took you, the feelings it wrestled from you, and the sparkle it leaves behind in its wake. I would call this your legacy, however in truth your real legacy is the loving way in which you nurtured and touched so many souls during your 90-something-year lifespan (It would be supremely rude to reveal a lady's age, even though you wouldn't have minded). I have tried to live a life that honors your memory and reflects the kind of woman you'd be proud to say you raised. Often, I have fallen short of your high expectation of me, but as Brad is fond of saying, "Baby, not everyone can be Jesus." It's taken me many years to learn how to forgive my shortcomings, but I know you would have loved me in spite of them, even if they disappointed you. That's the kind of person you were, always looking for the best in people and forgiving their mistakes, while championing the misfits and underdogs. Not everyone can be Jesus, but you certainly came as close as I've ever seen to living a life that reflected the spirit of His teachings. I will lovingly take your words, edit them as gently as I'd cradle a child, and then send them out so that the world may have one small taste of the amazing woman you were. Promise me you'll read The Cranberry Fairy to my son? I think he'll especially love Mr. Blue Eyes! Love Always, Your Bluebird *Image @onewildword.com.
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About The Author
I grew up in rural North Carolina. When I was only nineteen, I moved away and became a military wife. My only aspiration at that tender time in my life was to create an adult life that "fixed" all of the "injustices" of my childhood. Secretly, however, I wanted to reach for the sky! I wanted to be a writer and find ways to "save the world" (my mother used to say, "You have Save the World Syndrome".). Mostly, I wanted to matter. Archives
August 2021
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