Inspired
to Write by Grandma
On March 28, 1962 I received the
best gift this ten year old girl could receive for her birthday. It was a book
and it was given to me by my grandmother. You might wonder how I can remember
something that happened over fifty years ago. How could I forget? As I write
this article today, that same book is on the bookshelf next to me. The rose
colored hardcover with a publication date of 1959 is now tattered and
discolored. The title, Heidi is
barely readable.
The old gift is worth $8.99 on
E-bay, it’s priceless to me today.
For a little girl who had very few
friends and lived in a low income home with no television, my new book was a
treasure. I read it at least a dozen times in the next few years and Heidi
became a cherished friend, one who took
me away from my tiny world and introduced me to a vast new one I dreamed of
experiencing.
In the years after 1962, Grandma
used the wages she made as a cook, to buy me a whole collection of the
classics. When she gave Little Women
to me, she said maybe I would grow up to
be like the fictional Jo, the sister who became a writer.
Over the past fifty years, I’ve read
hundreds of other books. Many were best sellers written by extraordinary
writers. But the ones that impacted my life the most, were the ones that weren’t
widely read. It was as if they were written just for me.
As a teenager, I read Not My Will and recognized the
importance of seeking God’s will for my life. As a young mother, I read A Lantern in Her Hand and wept as Abby
gave up all her dreams, only to see them come true through her children. As a
stressed out mother of teenagers I read The
Blessing and recognized the truly important things I could give my
children.
Three years ago, after almost forty
years as a wife, mom, grandmother, nurse and writer of journals, I began to
feel “a need” to write for publication.
I purchased and read every “how to write” book I could find, and I
learned a lot. But, when I put my fingers on my computer to write my first
story, my prayer was not to write a perfect book, it was for God to use the
words I would write to make a positive impact on just one person’s life.”
This past December, I had the honor
of having one of my stories published in the Guidepost magazine. Soon after that, the story was picked up by the
Huffington Post. In the comments that followed the story, I saw my answered
prayer.
As I reflect back on my life, I
recognize God’s faithfulness to me. Not only has He blessed me tremendously,
but He’s been my strength during the difficult times of life. He has taught me
some valuable lessons and I write today, to share those with others.
I pray now that my debut novel, A Portrait of Dawn, to be published this
month, will touch someone’s life…like Heidi touched mine.
© 2013 B. J. Young
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