Tuesdays With The Angels- The Angels On The Writers’ Shoulders 8

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 My son, Mike, has such a kind heart. Soon after I lost my husband, Steve, I went to visit Mike in LA. It was my birthday and I thought my writing novels was a thing of the past. But then Mike gave me a beautiful butterfly card. It read, “I know these months have been hard but I want you to know how proud I am of you. You will find your wings and fly again soon.” Amazing to me there were butterflies lighting softly on a huge beautiful flowered bush on a wall outside my hotel window. I decided right then I would find the creativity inside to write another book in the Mystic Bay Series and butterflies would somehow be a theme.  It took a while but finally I started working on the book I would later call Town of Angels. 

In the story set in Mystic Bay again, the main character, Angel Ken, sends comfort and healing with a wave of butterflies from his hand. I so loved writing these scenes just as much as  writing angels flying at night when no one can see them. In the story when bully, Klaus Waxman, comes to town calling out the angel sightings as fraudulent publicity stunts, Angel Ken is there.  With an inspiring angel debate and kindness from the town Angel Ken is able to refute Klaus’ claims. Angel Ken uses his angel wisdom  to eventually help the lonely sad man.

As I wrote, the idea of butterflies became comforting to me as well. I realized how Mike’s special card with a butterfly on it had given me such a wonderful avenue to tell my angel stories.  In the story children, Val and  Billy Jo, delight as butterflies land on their fingers and shoulders.. 

A few months after I published Town of Angels a wonderful thing happened. My daughter, Elizabeth, called me from her home in New York City. “Mom  we’ve been sitting on the steps of our apartment building each afternoon and a butterfly has been coming around even landing on us!”Each day for a week an admiral butterfly visited them.  Once it landed on my son in law’s finger. Then the next time it landed on my daughter’s shoulder. The final time it landed on the baby’s shoulder. After a week’s visitation the butterfly was gone. Was this a coincidence? I would like to believe there are no coincidences. I believe angels sent butterflies to my family as a joyful gift from heaven, a reminder of love. Will I write another story about angels and butterflies? I already have.

 

 

Tuesdays With The Angels-The Angels On The Writers’ Shoulders 7

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Someone placed this rock with BE GRATEFUL written on it in my front yard. Who was it? I’ll probably never know. I kept it there for many months as a reminder for all those times in my life I experienced sadness, worry and fear and how  I would press forward towards the light gratefulness brings.

I’ve found it’s getting easier to feel grateful and blessed as the years go by. I passed the Be Grateful rock on to someone special to me. For one summer Arizona day an unknown angel on earth placed a heaven sent message on a rock in my front yard. Now I know the angels meant for me to pass  on it to you.

Tuesdays Wtih The Angels-The Angels On The Writers’ Shoulders 6

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My twins Liz and Mike  have been such treasures in my life. When I was writing my first novel, The Angel’s Daughter, Liz was in graduate school. An avid reader, she edited the first draft of my manuscript with a red pen. Her ability as an editor amazed me. On the plane going home from our visit she called me as I sat on the runway,”Mom, I saw a man running down the street with angel wings tattooed on his back. Make Sam’s character  have angel wing  tattoos!” Thus Sam, the despicable character as Hannah’s ex- boy friend and writing professor,  was given large  angel wing tattoos on his back which he proudly shows off in the novel on TV interviews.

My son, Mike, a television writer. gave me a beautiful butterfly birthday card the year after my husband passed away . He wrote,”I know the last few months have been hard, but I want you to know how proud I am of you.  You still have your wings and you’ll fly again soon,” Serendipity was ever present as there was a bush outside my hotel in LA that day filled with yellow flowers visited by many lovely  butterflies. This card became a theme in my last novel, Town of Angels. Mike’s quote is part of the story in the novel.  Angel Ken, the main character, sends butterflies to his flock of people in the fantasy town of Mystic Bay,California to sooth and calm troubled minds. And using one more of his wondrous angel gifts he guides the towns’ bully to an awakening of spirit.

People come into our lives and with small gestures make such life changing impacts on us. Liz and Mike have grown up to be kind, thoughtful and talented people.  They have used  wings of hope to realize their own dreams.  I am blessed to know and be the mother of these twin angels on the writers’ shoulders. Happy Birthday  today, January 2,2020, Liz and Mike!

Tuesdays With The Angels-The Angels On The Writers’ Shoulders-5

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It was Christmas years ago. My likable teenaged student with special needs, I’ll call Hank, was one of seventeen children. His tennis shoes were tattered and worn.  A decision was made that Christmas. I bought him some new tennis shoes and he was thoroughly delighted and thanked me.

I enjoyed watching Hank walk to class now proud of his new shoes for the rest of the year. Hank always had a smile on his face. On one of our last days of school Hank walked into class with the shoes I had given him in the same box they came in. “I got new shoes,” he said. ” Thank you.” There were new shoes on his feet and the ever present smile on his face.

“Oh please keep them, they were a gift from me to you!”  I never saw Hank again since he moved when school was over. He did write me a letter the next year and I wrote him back. Years later I  keep the tradition going of giving to children in need for Christmas.

 I’ll never forget the joy on Hanks’ face when he knew he had two pairs of shoes to wear or the sincerity of his thank you. You see all my students are still with me. Every one of them angels on the writers’ shoulders.

Tuesdays With The Angels- Angels on the Writers’ Shoulders 4

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The last thing I heard was her laughter. My daughter Kate passed away years ago but I can still hear her wonderful laugh that day in my mind.Kate had such an enormous impact on my life. The nineteen years we had together changed my world for the better. I so loved being her mother. There was a song that used to play on the radio in the late seventies when she was about three and we would sing it together. ‘You and Me Against the World’ by Helen Reddy. As her mother I thought the following lines pertained to my passing first.”For all the times we cried, I always felt that God was on our side. And when one of us is gone and one of us is left to carry on… think of all the things that we’ve been through… our memories alone will see us through. Think about the days of me and you. Me and you against the world.”

I wrote my first novel “The Angel’s Daughter’  in her memory. I’ve written two more novels in the Mystic Bay Series about angels living as humans these last few years. The stories center on guidance from angels, love, loss and forgiveness. Her memory is precious helping me write and carrying me through the rainy days to the sunshiny days. For believing there is a heaven and Kate was heaven sent  and she is there…well, remembering Kate will see me through. 

Tuesdays With The Angels-The Angels On The Writers’ Shoulder 2

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Christmas has always been my favorite time of year. My imagination always blossomed at Christmas time beginning in childhood as I wrote little stories. Listening to Nat King Coles’, Hark The Harold Angels Sing, was one of my favorite Christmas songs. Nat King Coles’ soothing voice singing about angels has always helped me visualize angels. I’ve always believed angels were near me and so my first novel, The Angel’s Daughter was set in part at Christmas time. To me Christmas is about  sharing joy, the wonder of life, forgiveness and love. Who better to help us believe then the heaven sent voice of Nat King Cole who now sings with the angels. 

 

 

Tuesdays With The Angels-The Angels on The Writers’ Shoulder 1

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I guess you could say I was born with a vivid imagination. My first childhood memory was of my mother standing at the backdoor of our home in Oklahoma with my sister, my  brother and me. She showed us our first rainbow. I can remember the rainbow so clearly today. After that  I would twirl and dance around the living room my parents said to the music that was always playing in our home. Also in those early years of two years old to five years old I had three imaginary friends. I played with them and I remember their names yet not what they looked like. Years ago my parents must have found it quite comical for me to chatter on about these friends during the day but today as I reflect upon them I  wonder. Could my imaginary friends have been angels? Maybe one was the man I call Angel  who I met twenty years ago after my daughter passed away. I am sure angels have been with me all my life sparking my imagination and helping me write novels about angels who live as  humans in a town where no one knows the secret. Weaving these stories of angels who guide their flock with hope and love bring me moments of joy and peace.Were my three imaginary friends really angels? I so hope the answer is yes!

 

Tuesdays With The Angels-Special Needs kids and Bullying

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I was  asked to write a quote on the effect of bullying on students with special needs.

Students with special needs are most vulnerable to bullying. Parents and professionals must teach the students social skills including self respect and kindness to others. The strongest tool for any of us to use against the bully is through this quiet kindness. Just turn and walk away.

Tuesdays With The Angels-Angels Special Needs Kids & Bullying

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I first became aware of bullying before 1974 when I was a child and the American With Disabilities Act had not been passed. Children with Special Needs were not allowed in the public school system. As we walked to grade school a girl about twelve I guessed with flaming red hair would ride her bike by our school almost every day as we were about to cross at the crosswalk. I knew she was different and know now after a career in Special Education she had Down’s Syndrome. The kids would laugh and point while calling her names as she drove by our school but I never did. I just stood there always  feeling  sad for her wondering who she was. I  knew it was wrong for the kids to make fun of her.  The girl obviously wanted to belong and go to school like the other kids.

Why do some kids and adults feel the need to bully others? Maybe  bullies do feel shame. Perhaps they feel they don’t belong.  Making others feel that shame too makes them feel better about themselves. So much must be lacking in their lives.  

Over the years, I’ve always wondered what happened to the girl on the bike with the flaming red hair. Sending angels to her in my mind, hoping she’s found peace helps the memory of her.  I hope she’s finding the kindness of others now as an adult. Hopefully the adults who as children taunted her have learned their own lessons of kindness from the angels.