Inspiration
Posted by
Calliope's Call
Posted on: 02/23/08
Inspiration
My great Aunt Helen died last week at 91. I wrote about her in the Afterword of my novel, Brigid's Charge. She inspired me as a little girl, sending me off on a quest to learn about my family's connection to the creature now known as the Jersey Devil. A quest that resulted in Brigid's Charge.As a child, I was sitting around the table with my mother and grandmother, listening to them laugh about my great aunt's latest lark. Apparently, an authority in Texas was claiming that the Jersey Devil actually belonged to Texas. Aunt Helen wrote a letter to the local paper, affirming New Jersey's and our family's claim to the beast, and offering on her upcoming trip to Texas to bring the devil back. That brought a reporter to her door, newspaper photos of a family gathering (if I'm not conflating two events), and the lifelong pique of inspiration in a little girl.
I am equally inspired by her wit, playfulness, feistiness, and kindness. She will be missed by her family and friends -- and never forgotten.
Calliope's Call
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When my dad died at age 89 last February (2007), I wrote a book about him in his memory. He was funny, loving, and amazing that I thought people would enjoy reading about him as well as how God helped me through the difficult months afterward.