what would you do if you couldn't think
no really
you couldn't think critically
ok so i hear some of you sleepless moms of littles saying, that's me everyday
trust me, i get it
but what if you had had a photographic memory, could recite passages of scripture and literature poetically, were fluent in cantonese, and knew every line in every single Seinfeld episode and 80s movie
and now could not force your mind to complete simple tasks, remember what you did this morning, remember who you spoke with about what, or form words properly when you spoke
to have a ghost of a memory that you once knew so many beautifully rich things
this is just a mild taste of what my brilliant husband deals with on a daily basis
so when i tell you that Mike just finished a novel
it is with absolute elation that i tell you that my husband just completed his first novel
you know of his passion for books
his thirst for reading
his in depth studying
his fascination with word choice
being drawn into other worlds
living life through the eyes and passion of another
this same passion was born into the soul of our son
for years Mike has had a story in his mind to write for Owen
a story that explored ideals that he wanted our son to seek after
ideals he felt were lacking in the world our son was growing up in
Mike wasn't able to dedicate time to write this story before
well, because he had been busy with so many other things
now his daily life is quite different
a type of different that tears at my heart leading me to often times turn my head from Mike's view so as to hide my tears as i witness his daily struggles and see his brilliant mind dormant
i turn away so he does not witness my moments of inner battle that read on my face,
but as always the Lord has extended mercy through something very simple
imagination
imagination flows from dreams
from ideas of our own making
without limits or the necessity for critical thinking
for this reason and a miracle that the overall idea for the story was stored in a part of Mike's long term memory that has been unaffected by his Multiple Sclerosis
Mike was able to write his book
now the process of writing for him was quite different than it would be for you and i
every morning he would forget what he had written the day before
he would forget the storyline, the characters, the direction
every day he would have to start anew, rereading what he had written the day before
learning to take exhaustive notes of any upcoming details of the novel, knowing that in a few short minutes or hours he would forget them
day after day this routine repeated
until nearly 100,000 words were written
a novel completed
out of this process came something beautiful
something life-saving
this book saved my husband
as i sure you can imagine
having so much of what you would consider your identity and role taken from you
having limitations hinder you from fulfilling those duties you delight in performing for those you love
then battling extreme fatigue and intense pain to carry out those things that remain for you to struggle through
experiencing all of this would throw anyone into a period of questioning your worth
into period of self doubt and dare i use the 'd' word
being able to write gave him a purpose again
a feeling of contributing
even a feeling of meaning
it brought excitement and structure back into his day
even life
something to look forward to
and although it was difficult to have to start over every day, he could look back at what he had written the day before and see that he was accomplishing something
i loved seeing that passion and vibrance for life return
you could see it in his face
you could hear it in the way he spoke
you could feel it in the energy of our home
he was writing something of value for our son
which became something of value for himself
and something he hopes will be of value to many youth and parents out there
for he is planning on self-publishing it before Owen's twelfth birthday in May
i want to have Mike tell you more about this experience himself
i know how much you love hearing from him
he has just begun sharing his first draft with family and friends
and is looking for a few others who would be interested in reading it to give him feedback before he sends it to a copy editor
if any of you are interested in reading a copy of his first novel, please contact me
it is entitled, CHOSEN, the quest for the eight keys
and is a young adult novel full of adventure and hilarity as only Mike could write
it is brilliant and we have already received incredible praise from those who have already finished it
including one speed reading son who absolutely loved it and can't wait for the next one in the series
i am beyond proud of what Mike has accomplished and am so happy to see him move forward with self-publishing
i am so grateful for this gift that God has granted him
this opportunity to free his mind and spirit
in a way that will be immortalized for his children and generations to come
