I realized my honor roll was internal. It consisted of the names of those dear souls who invested something of themselves in me. And they are those who are no longer with me.
As I remembered what they had said to encourage me, share wisdom, practical knowledge, and genuine love, my heart overflowed. I can recall their dear faces right from childhood up to the time of those who passed on. Strangely I also remember the faces of those who said the hurtful, bitter, and cruel things. Some of these were relatives, some were teachers and some whom I had believed were friends. Those wounding words are long gone. But the uplifting words, and practical deeds of my dear ones, I still treasure in my heart.
I believe many adults think a child will forget and that's why they say these things unthinkingly. But those who want to encourage, truly connect with a child, they understand a child's need. And so they bless them. That made me realize the words I write in my books are meant not only to entertain, but to give something of myself in my words. To allow my reader to so identify, they will take to heart what my characters learn as they grow. Because we all need to grow, don't we?
I treasure so many books I have read and I can reread them because of it. Something in them connects with us at a deeper level and we know what the author is saying to us also.
Do you have an honor roll of your own? And certain unforgettable books that truly connect with you? I really would be interested to know if you also feel this way.
Besides her daily radio ministry with her husband, Indie Publisher,
Rita Stella Galieh's three published books in her Victoriana Series are now online as ebooks. If you like the Historical Romance genre and TV series such as Downton Abbey etc. you'll enjoy these.
See:
http://www.ritastellapress.com/buy-novels.html
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Hi Rita, I had never thought of it that way before. But yes there are are a number of people like teachers and coaches, who invested some of their wisdom and love in me, that I still reflect on even 30+ years later.
ReplyDeleteAnd books … oh where does one start. Whether it's something like the Wind in the Willows to boys action books to some of the classics of Dickens, Austen and Hardy.
Thank you for taking me down memory lane, Rita.
Ian, if only we cold tell them now we're adults, how much we appreciated their encouragement, but they were probably very aware of it at the time.Their concern makes me take that extra interest in young minds. Now with teens we need a different way to show it and they might not even be happy about it at the time. But later on they'll remember.
ReplyDeleteBooks can be wonderful teachers...that is thanks to those thoughtful authors who shared their hearts with us.
Ah yes! The touchstone moments of my life centre on a word or praise or advice from admired teachers, elders and relatives. Usually those mentors had no idea they had made a permanent mark on my mind.
ReplyDeleteTI guess they were just doing their job, but more so. And wouldn't they love to know you turned into a writer.
ReplyDeleteYes, appreciating those who have gone before us to lead the way is so important.
ReplyDeleteThanks Donna. Even if they have passed on, sometimes we can let their relatives know.
ReplyDelete