Author: heidiauthorgmailcom

Memorial Day. A day off. Parades. Picnics. Firing up the grill. Drinking a cold one. That’s not what this holiday weekend is about. It’s about the flag. Servicemen in uniforms. Poppies. A field of markers lined up in a row. An empty place at the table. An aching heart. For us. For our freedom. For this great country that we call home.

This place may not be perfect. We have our problems, like everyone else. We can change. We can grow. We can make it better, but while we do, we can never forget the price that has been paid. Continues to be paid to give us so many gifts. So much we take for granted.

As you head into your Memorial Day weekend, take a moment to say thank you. To say a prayer. To shed a tear…and remember those who serve, those who sacrifice, those who have given their lives so that you can enjoy yours.

My mother has always meant the world to me. When I was little, she was my caretaker. My lighthouse in the storm. As I grew up, I thought of her as my best friend and my compass. That in adopting me, she chose me, meant all the more. She gave me a love that knew no bounds and in so doing, taught me how to love deeply.

The older I get, my love for my mother–and all the mothers in my life–continues to grow. Being a mother, I now understand–there is no higher calling. No job that matters more. It’s what I was born to do. Every day of my life, I value the gift of my son and being allowed the most precious blessing, to be his mother. No matter how old he gets, no matter where he goes in life, he will be my baby. His happiness is my highest priority. I will think about him, worry about him, and love him beyond measure until the day I die…and even beyond, I’m sure I will be watching over him. Waiting until he comes home to me…far, far in the future.

I know that every mother shares this responsibility, one that holds no regrets and only the greatest gratitude. To be a mother. There is nothing better in life. Thank you to all mothers for sharing this title with me today. For the gift of your love. Happy Mother’s Day!

Rosie and her Ragamuffin Sam was inspired last summer from a writing prompt about finding a pair of shoes in a thrift shop, putting them on, and getting carried away.  Ideas started perking for me and I filed them away. As November approached, I heard about NanoWriMo, otherwise known as National Novel Writing Month. It’s a challenge in the month of November, to write a novel of at least 50,000 words in that time. I decided to go for it, using the story that started with a pair of brilliant red, vintage shoes in a thrift shop in New York City. Little did I know that it would take over my life. Fifteen days in, over 51,000 words were down and I had my story.

As I wrote, my mother-in-law and father-in-law’s stories about growing up in Brooklyn made the words race from my fingertips. My grandfather’s favorite music from the Glenn Miller Band, “In the Mood,” and “Moonlight Serenade,” played in the background and hummed in my mind. I scoped out pictures online and immediately fell in love with Michele Dyson’s photo above…the only thing I needed to change were the shoes. They had to be red. Like Dorothy’s shoes in The Wizard of the Oz, shoes that had a magic about them.

This novel is truly a labor of love. A love story. One that takes us back to a simpler, yet much harder time. To Brooklyn, the 1940’s, and tenement life at the end of the Great Depression, on the brink of World War II. At it’s heart? What matters most. Family. Faith. Hope. And an incredible, unforgettable love story between Rosie and her Ragamuffin Sam. I hope you’ll come along on the journey.

The adventure of publishing didn’t begin for me until I was in my forties. I never imagined this passion would take over my life the way it has. There have been ups and downs. It’s definitely not easy, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Going after my dreams has taught me valuable lessons. It’s worth it no matter where you end up. The positive far outweighs the negative. Amazing things will happen in your life when you follow your heart.

Go ahead. Be that someone you have always wanted to be. You’ll thank yourself when you take this journey into your heart’s content.

On Saturday, April 7th, I was invited to be a presenter and guest at Elaine Houston’s Fearless Women Summit in Albany. I was honored to be a part of this gathering of amazing women. We came together with one common goal: to build each other up. As I talked to women of all ages and walks of life, I was in awe of them. Their courage. Their strength. The challenges they are facing every day.  I am so grateful that they opened their hearts and shared their stories with me. I encouraged them to keep dreaming and reach for their goals, to pick up a pen and a computer and write. To not let anyone tell them what they could or couldn’t do, that there was no right way to tell their stories. Their journey is their own. They taught me lessons as well–how to take what you have and move forward. How to love yourself. How to pick yourself up when you fall, no matter how many times you fall. Everyone can learn how to live a fuller life from the women in their lives if you are willing to listen.