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Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life
AUTHORBUZZ: Discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win: Goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader
Dear Reader,
Hundreds of folks entered this year's Write a Dear Reader Contest and today I have the honor of announcing this year's winner.
Congratulations Liz Rolland!
Liz has been reading at the book clubs for several years, "Too many to remember for certain," she says. But this was only the second time she'd entered the contest. A full-time mom, Liz has two delightful daughters; 18 year-old Hannah and 13 year-old Sophie. Hannah was the inspiration for this year's entry.
Liz's "first career" was a dancer with an internationally-known dance company. "Being a dancer was in a younger life," (she retired at 40) and now she teaches adult dance and yoga classes. Recently Liz found herself in the midst of a murder mystery--her own. She's started working on writing her first book. "I sit down and write any time I can," she says, "but since my husband is self-employed and works from home, and Hannah and Sophie share my computer, it's difficult to sneak in writing time."
Thankfully for us, Liz found time to enter this year's Write a Dear Reader Contest. I loved her story and I think you will, too.
Congratulations, Liz.
My warmest regards,
Suzanne Beecher
When my daughter, Hannah, was born she didn't cry. Not a peep. We looked into her deep blue eyes and knew right away that she was an old soul. She seemed to be looking out on her world with innate patience. As a toddler, she would sit quietly by my side for long stretches, "reading" her books to her babydoll.
Just before Hannah turned three, a new child joined our preschool playgroup. Fiona was also three years old, with strawberry blond curls and Down Syndrome. We met often at the playground or each others' homes, occasionally taking a day trip together. For Hannah's birthday, Fiona's mom gave her a book called, Where's Chimpy? by Berniece Rabe. In this story, a little girl with Down Syndrome searches for a lost toy. Misty, the girl in the story, bore an uncanny resemblance to Fiona.
The book quickly became Hannah's favorite, as she loved to watch the search for the missing stuffed animal unfold as the father recreated each step of the young child's day. The book ended with a short description and explanation of Down Syndrome.
Although we had never discussed this in relation to Hannah's new friend, one day I mentioned the connection.
"No," Hannah said, simply. "Fiona doesn't have that."
"Yes," I replied, gently. "Fiona is just like Misty. She has Down Syndrome."
Hannah just shook her head again. In all the months that we had played together with Fiona, Hannah had never noticed how Fiona was different. How she didn't speak in words and sentences, how she still sat in a high chair with a bib to eat her lunch, how her mother still had to help her perform many simple tasks.
"No," Hannah explained to me patiently, "Fiona is my friend."
And then I understood. In Hannah's eyes, they were both two little girls who loved to eat cupcakes with pink frosting, dance the hokey-pokey, dig in the sand, and splash water with their feet in the baby pool. Hannah automatically accepted Fiona just as she was and never questioned the minor differences which had absolutely no effect on their friendship.
Later on, I realized that Hannah had never noticed or questioned why certain people we met had different skin colors, or ways of dressing, or body shapes or sizes. I could pretend that her special way of seeing had to do with the way her father and I had raised her. Possibly this was due to our extreme tolerance and acceptance of diversity? But no, we eventually had another daughter who noticed all this and much more, questioning everything as soon as she had the words to express herself.
I can't say why Hannah began life with such a sense of openness. She will turn eighteen this year and head off to college, a fairly typical teenager, probably about as judgmental as the next. But I like to believe that the unique toddler with the old soul is still in there. I hope that when she heads out into the world on her own, she will be carrying with her that generous spirit of acceptance. If I can dig up that old picture book, I may just pack it in her duffel bag as a reminder...
* Today's new Penguin Classic is THE REAL STORY OF AH-Q AND OTHER TALES OF CHINA by Lu Xun. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/September11Classics
AUTHORBUZZ: UNDER THE DOG STAR by Sandra Parshall
Veterinarian Rachel Goddard can't stand by while animals suffer--and she feels equally driven to act if she believes a child is mistreated. She makes deadly enemies when she scrambles to save feral dogs wrongly accused of killing a prominent doctor, and at the same time becomes entangled in the sad lives of the doctor's adopted children.
Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader Click on UNDER THE DOG STAR to read more. Author Sandra Parshall would love to hear from you.
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