A woman living in Nashville writes to Louisiana after reading her book. She has seen Louisiana before, at church and around town, but she doesn't really know her that well.
Monday, May 16, 2005, 4:48 p.m., C.D.T.~
Dear Louisiana~
You may be surprised to hear from a fellow Nashvillian, but I read your first book, "A Family Made Out Of Miracles And Rainbows: The Sandusky Family Story--A True Story of Love and International Adoption", and I was intensely moved by your inspiring story.
I have seen your beautiful family around town and at church (yes, I attend the same church as you do!), but I don't know you all that well. I also happened to pick up a copy of your book and its sequel, "And The Miracles Continue", and I was moved when I read your story and learned how your family came into being. Which is why I am writing to you.
I am a very shy, quiet person, and I am married with four kids, Raylee Joanne (11), Dominick Nathaniel (9), Samuel Bryson (7), and our youngest, Forest Grant, who is four. Grant is also considered to be special-needs: he has autism, and he is one of the reasons why I am the way I am because he is oftentimes so unpredictable. I am married, as I just said, to a wonderful man named Robert, whom I have been married to for 15 years now.
I have seen your family many times, but I never came up to introduce myself. I don't warm up to people all that well until I get to really know them, and meeting new people is hard, very hard, for me. I hope you understand my reason for not introducing myself at the store, at church, or whereever I happen to see you. I also don't know how little Forest is going to react around people, so I just would rather keep to myself.
Your family is amazing, to put it mildly: you and your husband are both physically disabled, and you both work at demanding jobs, but you keep a tight rein on your children, and your kids are among the brightest, well-mannered, sweetest kids I have ever seen. They are also incredibly talented, and I am in awe of their musical abilities. Your young daughter--the one with the long, poufy hair, the one on crutches--is an amazing little singer, and she has a God-given talent that is bound to take her places. And your one little son--the one with the white hair and wire-rimmed glasses, the one in the wheelchair--sure seems like a little charmer, but he seems to be on the shy side; so I can probably most identify with him. >grins< He sings quite well too, but I am wondering why doesn't sing very much. I think that is such a shame because he is very talented too, just like his sister!
I love your one daughter--Jodie, I think you said her name was--, the one with cerebral palsy. She is so cute, and she always has such a happy grin on her face! How old is she, and does she talk any? Every time I look at her at church, she always has a smile ready for me, but I guess I am too lazy, or too stupid, or too shy to come up and say hello, not just to her, per se, but to the rest of y'all!
Well, Louisiana, I don't want to bore you any more with this pitiful excuse of a letter, but I read your books, and I really enjoyed learning about you and your beautiful "Family of Miracles"!
God bless you, and thank you for listening to me. Maybe one of these days I will surprise you and introduce myself to you. I would really love to meet you and get to know you better! Do write to me soon, and thank you for inspiring parents of children with special needs!
I'm not sure if I understand the premise... is this an actual letter? or is it part of a fictional story in the making? Whatever the case may be, I enjoyed reading it, this connecting of shy soul to soul, being inspired from a distance.
Let this coming of age story of a boy named Bean take you back to a simple time. Set in a small southern town in the 1960's, encircled by a river and gleaming white cotton fields.
It's almost Christmas. Lynn Basil is writing her last book about a secret entrance into the magical doll land of Sha Bebe that she loves so much. Bagannos have taken over the world! Lynn finally meets her dolls in real life. Can she write in a Secret
Monday, May 16, 2005, 4:48 p.m., C.D.T.~
