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SLIDE #1
Thank you to
Anne and The Dragonfly Project organization for inviting me
to speak here today. My husband John, who co-wrote The
Dragonfly Secret with me, sends his regrets as he had
previously accepted another speaking engagement across town.
We are both strong advocates of The Dragonfly Project, and
Anne asked me to share with you the inspiration behind our
company and two books, The Dragonfly Door and The
Dragonfly Secret.
SLIDE #2
The dictionary has several definitions for the word
“crossroads”. The first, more literal definition is, “a
place where roads meet; an intersection. But if you read a
bit further in the definition you will find that crossroads
can also mean “a decisive point; a turning point.”
There are many events in
life that lead to unexpected experiences. Sometimes we see
these events coming and know or sense they will have a
profound impact on us. We know we are at a crossroads but
don’t necessarily know where we’re headed. Other times, we
are blindsided by an event and do not realize its impact on
us until later. These unexpected events are also crossroads.
SLIDE #3
In order to understand what inspired us, I need to
first share with you a little from John’s past. Before John
and I ever met, he lost the grandmother who helped raise him
on the farm where he grew up in Kentucky.
She was killed in a tragic car accident one warm
spring night on her way home from an antique show. If you
talk to John about that loss, he will tell you that he
remembers a lot about the night she died. He recalls his
father getting the police call that evening. He remembers
what she was doing the day before her death. He remembers
her last words to him. He remembers that in
the days that followed, nothing seemed to make
sense.
As a young person, this tragedy was traumatic and has
impacted him all of his life. Her death was his first real
experience with loss. He dealt with it as best he could, but
carried the pain of that first loss all of his life. As an
adult, one of the things he came to realize was that there
was clearly a need for additional resources to help young
children cope with grief.
SLIDE #4
Fast forward to 2004 --- about 5 years ago, John and
I read about Anne in the Minneapolis paper and the work that
The Dragonfly Project was doing for grieving adults. We
decided to get involved with the organization and we've both
been volunteers since then. We also happened to be at a
crossroads in our careers; we were both in the process of
leaving corporate positions. We were inspired by the work
Anne and her friends were doing for others through The
Dragonfly Project. Her outreach to grieving adults is a true
act of kindness. She has helped The Dragonfly Project reach
20,000 grieving families; what a gift to our community.
SLIDE #5
The Dragonfly Project’s work took John back to his
own experience with loss as a child. He knew first-hand what
it was like to lose someone important when he was young. He
became determined to write The Dragonfly Door to also
help others. It became his mission even when at times it
seemed impossible. He promised himself that he would not
give up until the story was done and the book was published.
The Dragonfly Door was published in January
2007. This story is for children and was written to help
them cope with loss and change. We asked two child
psychologists to read the story and suggest changes to make
the story better.
John and I formed a company around the manuscript
which we called Feather Rock Books - never intending for the
book and the company to ever move beyond a part-time
endeavor.
Slide #6
So inspired were we from the families we heard from
after the release of The Dragonfly Door, we felt
compelled to write a follow-on book called The Dragonfly
Secret. This book was released late in 2008. Using
nature as the centerpiece in the story, it is about a unique
friendship between a young boy and a dragonfly. The book’s
overall message is that the memories of a loved one are
forever. The power of love is boundless and can yield
unexpected moments of hope – you just have to be willing to
look for them.
Slide #7
We have been humbled by readers who tell us the
story resonates with them -- they feel as if we have written
their story. I’ll never forget the man who told us about
losing his best friend and fishing buddy a few years ago. He
said the week following his friend’s death, he went fishing
to pay tribute to his friend. That morning he saw the most
beautiful sunrise of his life. It brought tears to his eyes.
As he sat in the stillness of that early morning glow, he
just knew that sunrise was a special message from his
friend. He found comfort from nature that day and it helped
him on his grief journey.
John and I hope The Dragonfly Secret will help
readers in much that same way. We hope it will gently remind
a hurting family that their loved one’s love and presence
surrounds them each and every day.
Slide #8
Each time John and I have discussed moving on to
other endeavors, we have been nudged along the path we are
still on. While I don’t know where or what the next
crossroads will be for us, we are thankful for all those
crossroads in our past, including our involvement with The
Dragonfly Project. We hope our work -- in some small way –
will help others in their journey with grief. That continues
to be our primary goal.
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