Straight From the Heart
A Mother Battles Paranoid Schizophrenia, and a Girl Struggles to Grow Up
by
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Sarah sat reminiscing of the summer she turned fifteen, the one that had helped shape her life. Lost in her memories of the past it seemed like only yesterday. The year was 1949, four years after the ending of World War II. Fifty years had passed since that memorable summer. Time may have blurred the sharpness of familiar faces, stolen the freshness of emotions she’d long since experienced, but not erased them.
School had just closed for the year and the heat was already upon them. Peter, Sarah’s older brother by eleven years, was on summer break from seminary, and had invited her to spend her summer vacation with him and his family. The two country churches of which he was pastor shared him for bi-weekly Sunday services, and for Wednesday night prayer meetings. The extra salary helped with his school expenses while at seminary and during the winter months he drove back and forth on weekends.
Peter met Sarah in Grove Hill, a combination bus station-post office-grocery store, similar to those of other small towns located in the area. It was the closest bus station to
Exhausted and hungry after her all-day journey, she stepped from the bus and smiled at her brother. They hugged each other, and after collecting her luggage, Peter ushered her into the small eatery tucked into one corner of the station. They sat down at a glass-topped table and ordered sandwiches, with coffee for Peter and a Coke for Sarah.
“How was your trip?” Peter asked.
“Fine, but I’ve never seen so many miles of farm land, pine trees, pastures, and just plain hills in my life,” she sighed.
She was glad to see their food arrive, and took a big swallow of her Coke and a bite of her sandwich. The food and drink were beginning to revive her, although she still felt half-dazed from the humming of the bus engine, and the constant vibration of tires as they clicked off the miles.
“You’ll feel better after a good night’s sleep,” he assured her, patting her arm affectionately.
“How are Lois and Kelly? How far is it to where you live?”
Peter held up his hand. “Whoa, one at a time, please!” he said, laughing.
“They’re doing just fine. They’re looking forward to seeing you. And the ride home is only a few miles.”
Sarah smiled gratefully, leaning her elbows on the table. Peter had finished eating, so she hastily swallowed her last bite of sandwich and gulped down the rest of her Coke. She longed for a hot shower and a soft bed.
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About the Book
My memoirs pick up when I turned fifteen, and reveal many unique experiences until I met my husband, now of forty-five years of marriage, when I was twenty-five.
These experiences attest to my faith in God from an early age, and demonstrate that He was always there.
It was these experiences in living that shaped me into the person that I am. I was able to gain insight into myself - to form values as I matured from a teenager into a young adult.
The book is honest, and doesn’t hesitate to reveal intimate details of my relationships. Each was different; some were painful - others were satisfying, but none were dull!
About the Author
An interest in writing led the author to write about what she knew - her own life experiences. Writing them in third person in short story form, she’d not considered them as memoirs until several years had passed. She’d written eight “stories.”
An AuthorHouse services representative, Brian Mattox, approached her about a special promotion available. Lack of funds made her unable to reciprocate.
She talked to God: “Lord, if it’s your will for me to publish my book, You’ll have to make it possible.” Days later, a company who’d employed her forty-three years earlier informed her that she had a small pension fund due her! Immediately she called Brian and set wheels rolling to get published.