A Pumpkin for God was inspired by my Granddaughter Keri, who was trying to accept her Grandfathers death and did it in such a beautiful way that I felt it was a story that should be told.
I have been excited to tell real life stories and have done this in my story, "The Baby's Cross", and my Mom's stories that she expressed in her poetry. Life is a story it has a beginning , a middle which holds the substance of the story, and of course an ending. I have been a giver all of my life and it brings me such joy, I hope that my books will do the same for all who read them. I find the adventure of writing for me has also been a healing process, it has also taken me on many wonderful journeys. I was told I wouldn't live past 16. Today I am 75 and I thank God for all the extra years I have had. I have learned compassion love and the gift of making choices, which to me is what life is about. I have just been featured in a documentary about people who have survived tuberculosis, it is one of the journeys my book The Baby's Cross has taken me on. The documentary really tells the story of what a devastating disease it was and how many did not survive. I was proud to be featured in it. I have just become a great grandmother again, it is such a joy. I have 3 children several grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. I was married almost 42 years when my husband passed on. I now have a new companion in my life who has been such an inspiration to me. He has been my guide in continuing my passion to write.
When Keri was five years old and feeling sad about recently losing her grandfather whom she called "Papa" she went to spend the weekend with her grandmother whom she called "Darlin". Since the weekend was close to Halloween, Keri asked if she could buy a pumpkin for Papa to place in the "secretary" (her word for cemetery).
Keri wakes in the early morning and sings a song to Papa, who she now calls "Papa Angel."
Standing back and looking at the pumpkin from all angles, Keri folded her arms in front of her, suddenly looking very sad. Darlin noticed a tear fall down Keri's cheek and asked, "why are you so sad?" Keri replied, " it is God, there is no pumpkin on God's night table in heaven we need to look for~"A Pumpkin for God."