When I overheard this, it gave me shivers

All of you who didn’t go to the Goodyear book signing, really should have because there were many awesome people there. Celebrities pretend to be awesome people. People who come to signings are the real deal.

So while there, an old friend came in who used to live in my neighborhood. Our sons and daughters were friends. Then she moved, got divorced, got remarried and moved to Avondale. I hadn’t seen her for about 15 years. She knew Adrienne (one of the other authors) more recently and was her friend too. (Small world.)

While I was signing a book, she was talking to Adrienne, and Adrienne told her she really ought to write a book since she’s gone through a lot in her life.

Our friend said she’d thought about it, but it seemed like such a big step to bare her soul and tell the world about all her dark days. However, even with those fears she still felt like maybe she was supposed to write her story to help someone else.

In way of explanation, she told a story. She said that every time she’d gone through a really hard experience, God had always sent someone to help her through it.

“About four years ago,” she said, “I was going through a really hard trial. I kept waiting for someone to step up and tell me that they knew what I was going through. It didn’t happen, and it didn’t happen, and I was really missing having someone around who could understand and offer advice. Finally, I asked God, “Where is my helper this time?”

And he said, “She hasn’t written her book yet.”

As a writer, those words sent chills through me. Is there a book I should be writing that will specifically help someone else? Maybe. I don’t know. It’s something to ponder.

But a lot of you my fellow writers definitely fall into this category. You have stories about being there, doing that, and coming out a better person for it.  Don’t make those who need your stories wait for them.

11 comments

  1. Tiana Smith
    March 11, 2015 at 12:03 pm

    I’ve always figured I should write the kind of books I want to read. The kind of books that made me love reading and helped me when I was younger. I’ve written a few. Maybe one of these days I’ll actually get to publish some 😉

  2. britney
    March 12, 2015 at 10:34 pm

    I think any book someone enjoys is helpful. In fact I simply love books that make me happy and make me appreciate my life and the people around me. Just so you know, I always leave your books happier. Thats my favorite kind of book. There is value in that too 🙂

    • Janette Rallison
      March 14, 2015 at 5:44 pm

      Thanks!

  3. Janette Rallison
    March 14, 2015 at 5:43 pm

    You know what they call a writer who doesn’t give up–published.

    • Janette Rallison
      March 14, 2015 at 5:44 pm

      uh, that comment was for you, Tiana. Sheesh, when will I learn how to post comments . . .

  4. Julie Wright
    March 14, 2015 at 8:09 pm

    This is awesome, and so you know, your books uplift me and inspire me and remind me to be a good human. Your books make reading a joy. I’m glad you keep writing.

    • Janette Rallison
      March 15, 2015 at 9:26 am

      Thanks–although I don’t think you need much of a reminder to be a good human!

  5. Shelly Goodman
    March 15, 2015 at 6:34 am

    I completely agree with Britney and Julie Wright. Your books are a joy to read! Remember when we read that horribly depressing book for book club,”1000 white women”? (Spoiler alert: that book in which, literally, everyone dies?) I was so sad after reading that book and so I went to the bookstore to buy something uplifting to read. Your book was sitting on the shelf and the cover and title jumped out at me before I even noticed the author, it was so new I hadn’t seen it yet. It was “My Fair Godmother” and it completely lifted me out of my book depression. In fact I laughed out loud several times while reading it. You probably weren’t begging for compliments with this post, but I thought I would leave one anyway. I love your books, every genre! And I’m glad you keep writing too! (Also, nice job on the title of this blog post. It sounds just like something off of Buzzfeed or Huffington Post!)

    • Janette Rallison
      March 15, 2015 at 9:27 am

      Ah thanks! You have great taste in literature! Luckily Kristy read 1000 White Woman before I’d started and she told me how much she cried. I completely skipped that one.

  6. Julie Robb
    March 16, 2015 at 1:18 pm

    it would have been nice to have someone say I understand what you are going through and I am here for you , when we lost our home. My husband and I lost both our jobs on the same day ( different companies ) within two hours of each other. I also was coming down with viral pneumonia, I lost my voice for 4 months. My husband loving tended to me then he came down with the nasty stuff. All in all we lost our home and had to move in with our son and daughter- in law.
    For two weeks we work hard to toss and sort through 30 years of life that when we started to move I had called for help from my family. All my sister and niece could do was yell at me and say it was all my husbands fault for losing the house as it’s the “husbands place to work and provide for the home.”
    My husband being 60 at the time and not in good health had been looking, mu daughter had hurt her back, I also have an autistic son.

    I got a temporary job but it wasn’t enough to save our home ( later we found that losing our home was part of the Bank scam that was going on at that time to late to recall records ).

    It’s hard to take that nastiness from your family when you have been an anchor in their life.
    I mourned for months not only for our home but how my family treated us, it took a while to forgive.
    They wouldn’t talk to my husband at all. Some very dear neighbors and friends helped with the move very grateful for that.

    I was speaking with a friend at church and telling her how my sister and niece was treating us and she made this comment. ” Everyone is watching you and how you are handling this “. being the past Relief Society President of our Ward, I knew I couldn’t say anything more . I had to hold the hurt inside and cry alone. I had gone numb. Even the piano music that I enjoy so much left me, I couldn’t sing,. Joy was gone.

    The house that we lived in is just around the street corner of the same neighborhood that we now live in. I had to go visiting teaching to the houses on either side of our home. Talk about heart wrenching.

    How do you go on? I looked to my ancestors who were on the Willey handcart, gird up your loins and fresh courage take and forget that the person that is now in your home pulled up your beautiful roses.

    Just a Post Script :

    The music came back !!

    • Janette Rallison
      March 16, 2015 at 1:56 pm

      How hard! I’m glad the music came back.

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