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| Tammy Sue With Her Book |
On Friday, August 11, I hopped in my car and drove to
Connecticut. My purpose for going (besides seeing the rest of my family while
there) was to be present at the launch of my daughter’s first book, Wounded Song, nine years in the making.
Her book is about growing up in a family with an abusive
alcoholic father and a mother, me, who stood by and allowed the physical and verbal abuse
to continue. Although I don’t come across as a saint or even a very good mother in
her book, I have supported her in this endeavor since day one. (It helped to
know her story has a good ending!)
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| Tammy's Touch |
Tammy worked on her book launch for months, planning every
little detail, and, trust me, all her hard work was worth it. In one room of
the church where it was held, she had lights strung around the room for ambiance, fresh flowers here and there for beauty, and all around the room were
pictures from her childhood. She had a guest book, raffle tickets for free prizes, and two banners proudly proclaiming the
name of her book. In another room, she had tables nicely set for refreshments.
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| More of Tammy's Touch |
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| Tammy Reading |
The launch of her book was held in the sanctuary where over
eighty people joined her and took a seat to await her presentation. And what a
presentation it was! Tammy explained the various stages she went through over
the years to bring her book to fruition—from a few random thoughts, to a few written pages,
to a whopping thirty pages, to finally a full-size book. She led us through her
tears, joys and frustrations throughout the process to which any author can relate!
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| Mike, Cyndi, and Me with Tammy |
Curtis, Tammy’s husband, entertained us with songs on his guitar, then Tammy had her sister Cyndi, her friend Dawn, and Curtis read
passages from Wounded Song. Cyndi and
Dawn then each read something they’d written to honor Tammy Sue and during a
lull, my son Mike got up and said a few heartfelt words about his sister. Tammy
read a passage from her book, then it was time for me to read what I’d written.
When I finished, Tammy and I hugged. Then I saw that Mike and Cyndi had come forward to stand with me and we had a group hug that lasted quite awhile. When I looked up,
all the guests were on their feet giving us a standing ovation.
I mention this to say that, like the book, the book launch
was a testament to how a family can heal and love one another as family members
should love one another. Tammy’s theme for the night was, “Hope will have its way if you let it.”
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| Cyndi, Me, and Tammy With my Award the Next Day |
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| Loving Family Surrounding Tammy |
Afterwards, Tammy Sue presented me with
a treasured “Mother of the Year” award she’d lovingly created, then people lined up to get their books autographed. Because of Tammy’s book, many
people came forth and spoke to me honestly about whatever situations they were
in that needed healing. Wounded Song
touches people's hearts and prompts open conversations and will continue to do so for as long as the Lord desires.
Stay tuned for an interview with Tammy Sue Willey about her
raw, emotion-filled, book, Wounded Song.
Quote of the Day: To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1
