Miracles and Real Life in My Books
Hello everyone, it must be the ninth, if I'm showing up to share a little bit about my writing with you. This month, December is a challenging one for me as it's the month my mom passed away. Her passing was sudden two days before Christmas almost twenty years ago, but we were fortunate for a real life miracle had given her ten extra years with us.
My miracle begins during the summer, not the brisk winter season. As the only of her daughters not living in my childhood hometown, I often called my mom and spoke with her, chatting about recipes or my anger with my husband. We had a tumultuous relationship, typical for many teenage girls and their moms, yet it had become a close friendship upon my marriage and subsequent move to Michigan. My mom was my best friend and the one person I knew I could count on.
I received a phone call from my sister. My mom had been rushed to the hospital. She'd stopped breathing. Dad had done CPR but it was serious. Could I come home? In the mean time, a nurse who was at the hospital where my mom was brought in was friends with my in-laws and called them to say...get me home immediately. It didn't look good.
There is very little I remember about the drive or my arrival at the hospital. The white doors of the ICU was scored on my soul. They made the most unusual 'whoosh' when they opened and you needed to be admitted by a nurse. My walk into my mom's room was slow and filled with fear. She was on a breathing tube, hooked up to a variety of machines. Her body had gone into a coma and wasn't responding to any stimuli. No one knew for sure why or if she'd come out of it.
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| My mom's high school photo |
The nurses' desk filled the center of the area. Each patient had a personal room surrounding the desk so that the nurses could see each bed. During the next seven days, I became intimately familiar with the layout of the room and the lack of comfort in the family waiting area. We tried everything we could think of to bring Mom out of the coma, singing, talking, touching, even jangling the dog's collar. We begged and pleaded for more time. Mom was only 45, still so young.
One night my dad's priest was brought into the ICU. He'd had a heart attack. He was in his 80's and had been well loved by his parishioners. His family surrounded him in the ICU. They knew he wasn't going to make it. They made one request of him... let us know when you get to heaven.
He passed and my mom woke up. A real miracle and one which I had to include in my Holiday story- A Christmas Accident. While I changed the character from a mom to a husband, many of the feelings and events were based on this real-life incident. I always tell my readers that I include a real piece of something in each story...whether it's a name, location, or incident... one piece actually happened.
A Christmas Accident is a part of the Lovin' Christmas box set with six other stories sure to warm your heart and remind you about the miracles of the holidays. For only $0.99~ it's a present to yourself!
Buy Link: Amazon
Thanks for visiting... if you are a reader, do you enjoy real-life in your books? As a writer...do you include real-life in your stories?
Melissa Keir
18 comments:
A very touching story. I lost my mom two years ago in November, so the holidays hold a little sadness for me. Your book sounds great.
Thank you Brenda. It's ironic how the holidays can change when a family member passes.
Thank you for sharing your story, Melissa. I'm so glad you were able to have more time with your mom. Best of luck with the new holiday boxed set!
What a wonderful story, Melissa! A true miracle indeed. I'm so glad you got those extra years with your mom. Every day must have been precious.
I usually try to include something from my "real world" in my books--usually names, but often one of my own characteristics in the heroines.
What a beautiful post, Melissa. So sorry you lost your mom and at the worst time of year. It's never easy losing a parent.
Hi, Melissa! I could feel your heartache when reading your story and it reminded me so much of when my dad passed last year. I don't think I'll ever forget my mom holding his hand when we said farewell and saying, "I love you." Then his hand went cold. Incredibly powerful. And wonderful you could write a story about this. Hugs, sweetie. Hugs.
Beautiful story, Melissa.
Christmas miracles are so special....Thanks for telling us about this one...
Thank you so much for sharing your story Melissa. It brought back a flood of memories of my mom's passing twenty years ago in the month of November. She was only sixty-one, which I thought was way too young. I'm thankful that you young mother of 45 was such a Christmas miracle that you're able to tell it. Have a wonderful Christmas.
What special story and how generous of you to share it with your readers. Merry Christmas, Melissa.
Thank you all of you who stopped by and commented. This was an important piece to share. I want people to see the happiness in light of hard times. :)
Touching moment. Best of luck with the new book.
Thank you Daryl!
What a lovely real life story.
My mother stories are all bleak, so I won't share. lol.
Thanks for sharing this special story, Melissa. My mom passed away in November, thirty years ago. It wasn't unexpected, but it made for the strangest Christmas of my life so far. Wishing you the best of luck with your new release.
Thank you Liza. I'm always shocked by your stories about your parents. :)
I'm sorry Gemma. It is a hard time when a family member has passed.
I have tears in my eyes from reading your post.
Your amazing Melissa! Touching post!
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