My Book… The moment you are born your book of life begins.
All the words, the sentences, the paragraphs, the first page, the first chapter accumulate to tell your personal story. But even when it’s written, you can’t anticipate what comes next. It must be lived, it’s a mystery.
As I find myself half way through my 84th year, I often look back at some of the events…
Happy times, holding by babies in my arms.
Sad times, losing family and friends.
Remarkable times, falling in love.
And lonely times, being alone.
I was educated as an elementary teacher and taught a few years. I was a stay at home mom until the last baby grew up, spread his wings, as the others had done, and followed his own dreams.
Writing was my escape.
During this time, I found writing was my escape. When the house was quiet, I settled down with my pencil and Big Chief tablet and let my mind take me on a journey. I wrote about my life, finding humor in so many experiences mothers deal with every day. I had no idea that this escape would become my key to the future.
Looking back, I am sure I was in the right place at the right time and spent the next 30 years writing. College catalogs, student handbooks, informational brochures for 27 vocational technical offerings at the newly formed community college and colorful PR pieces for the admission offices of a private four-year college.
My biggest challenge during my career was directing public relations for a 600 bed hospital when they began offering open heart surgery, a new helicopter emergency service for the rural areas in Iowa and a Nursing Program.
During those years I was divorced, bought my own house and realized how empty it seemed with no children living there. All four had found their own paths.
I didn’t plan it, or even give it much thought, but I met a man, doing similar work for another college about seventy miles away. It wasn’t love at first sight, it took several years for both of us to come to the conclusion that we wanted to grow old together. When it was financially comfortable, we both resigned, sold off property and moved to Colorado.
I hadn’t fully realized how much I missed until I found someone with similar interests, a wonderful sense of humor, and who stimulated my thoughts and feelings.
Thirteen years into the marriage, he suffered cardiac arrest and was so close to dying I wasn’t sure I could hold him close enough to save his life… But he survived, had months of therapy, but we shared thirteen more years of travel, adventure, and love.
Hard times.
My most alone time in my life was when he passed. I was in my 70’s, retired and with no plan for the future without him. He was cremated and his box with his ashes is on my dresser
I wallowed for a while, since now I lived in a place where, except for my daughter and close neighbors, I knew no one. I still needed to live. I leaned on the one thing I had always done, I sat down and put words on paper. I had no contacts that needed something written so I began to give some consideration to telling my story, writing my book. Sharing the hurt, sadness, but most of all, the love I’ve felt for so many years.
Writing keeps me sane.
I wanted to share my experiences but didn’t want it to be a complete dialog of my life. That is when it occurred to me, that the only ones who can tell my story is me, and that’s where I started. Although fiction, “The Book of Kate”, allowed me to mourn, wallow when I needed to wallow, and produce something that would help me cope.
Although fiction, and self-published, it said what I couldn’t say. It is now on Amazon, along with other books I’ve written since then. None will ever be best sellers, that wasn’t my purpose, but writing keeps me sane.
– Isobel from Hot Springs, Arkansas
* The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of the Finance of America Reverse (LLC).
This article is intended for general informational and educational purposes only, and should not be construed as financial or tax advice. For more information about whether a reverse mortgage may be right for you, you should consult an independent financial advisor. For tax advice, please consult a tax professional.
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