Excerpt:

With her poetry published in numerous literary magazines, along with short stories and academic journals, Sylvia L. Ramsey has a new book, Traveling a Rocky Road With Love, Faith and Guts. Her unique memoir looks at her turbulent past, fractured relationships, and her battle with cancer. But if the response to it so far is anything to go by, it proves that as well as being one tough lady, she is also a source of inspiration to many others.

What inspired you to write your memoir?

Traveling a Rocky Road With Love, Faith and Guts, was inspired by a young man that has some very serious heart problems, and all the people I have met over the years as a teacher, mentor and a bladder cancer survivor. I have tried my best to encourage them, and to give them hope, to not give up on themselves or life. The truth is that life is harsh, and it is not like the movies that give a false impression that it is smooth sailing. Being the hero that keeps on going regardless of the situation is difficult, but with faith, it can be accomplished. It often takes a backbone, humor and a wishbone to survive it all. Because of this, I decided to write a book to share my life’s experiences so that it may inspire someone to come back fighting when life knocks them down. The stories and poems in this book reflect the lows and highs of life. It covers an abusive mother who had mental problems because of being abused as a child, childhood polio, a rocky marriage with a husband who was often abusive, the role of caregiving, death and grief, coping with bladder cancer, asthma, losing a home and more. Therefore, to not to scare you off with gloom and doom, there are funny stories along the way and an ending that I never dreamed would happen. My hope is that the book will bring about understanding to others, and be inspiring to even more. Our journey in life has a purpose, finding it is often the most difficult task of all.

3. It’s a very personal journey, what was the hardest part of writing it?

I am not the type of person that dwells on the past. I was taught by my father to learn from
bad judgments and mistakes. Because of this, I had gone forward in my life and left these behind. However, if reliving the rough sections of the road of life would help someone else, it was worth the trip. Reliving the emotional roller coaster of my childhood with my mother was unpleasant, because it made me remember how alone I had felt as a child, and one who needed a loving mother. Reliving the early years of my first marriage was also very difficult, and to look at the choices I made that did not make my life easier. However, I feel better about myself for making those choices.