Treasured Memories
By Mary Manners
As we honor loved ones this Memorial Day, I'd like to share a special memory from my childhood...
My dad has always been my hugest inspiration.
Long ago, when I was in middle school, I came home following a particularly
rough day to find him sitting on the front steps of our small brownstone house. I joined him there on the cool concrete landing and he spent a
good hour patiently listening while I vented about the trials and tribulations of being a
thirteen-year-old in a cruel, cruel world. I imagined he had no idea what I was
going through, since he couldn't have possibly ever been as young as thirteen.
Little did I know.
The next day, Dad came home with a small
treasure for me--a poster with the most forlorn-looking bloodhound sitting in a
washtub full of soap bubbles that had been dumped over his head. The caption
read, "Was today really necessary?" Dad helped me mount the poster in
a place of honor on my bedroom wall, and then we sat together and talked some
more. That's when I began to understand the power of adversity in shaping who I
am as well as in guiding my life's path.
Today, I use the trials of my life--both the
small inconveniences that jab like bony fingers along my rib cage as well as
the tsunamis that sweep through to wash away any semblance of sanity--to shape
and mold my writing. Characters come alive when their story is infused with
nuances of personal trials. In daily tribulations I find a never-ending
fount of inspiration.
My dad succumbed to Non-Hodgkin lymphoma fourteen
years ago, but his memory is alive and well in the poster that has traveled
with me through the decades. It now holds a place of honor on the wall across
from my office desk. Each time I glance up to read the caption, I smile and
murmur, "Yes, today is
really necessary and thank you, God, for allowing me another breath and another
test, and thank you, Dad, for the precious words of wisdom."
~~~~~
When
Brenna Langdon reluctantly returns to Collins, Oklahoma for her best friend’s
wedding, the last person she expects to run into is Luke Morgan…the rancher who
befriended her years ago, following her parents’ sudden death. Luke is strong, gentle, and impossibly handsome…just
what Brenna needs. Except for one thing—he loves his ranch…and the slow-paced
solitude of Collins. Painful memories of her parents’ death and the agony of
living in Collins with a cruel aunt and uncle have made Brenna vow to never
return…except for the wedding. Three
days, and she’s out of there—back to her high-powered, fast-paced marketing job
in Chicago. But Luke has other plans…to chase away painful memories and bring
Brenna home to Collins—for good.
~~~~~
Mary Manners is an award-winning
romance writer who lives in the beautiful foothills of East Tennessee
with her husband Tim and the cherished cats they've rescued from
local animal shelters...Lucky and Gus. She loves swimming, running, flavored
coffee and Smoky Mountain sunsets.
Mary was named Author of the Year
by Book and Trailer Showcase. She writes inspirational romances of all lengths,
from short stories to novels—something for everyone.
Learn more about Mary Manners at
her website: www.MaryMannersRomance.com.
