November 16th, 2014
Today, I'm coming to grips with a loss. My mother's oldest sister passed away yesterday at 86. Though I haven't seen a lot of her in recent years, I'm realizing just how important she has been in my life.
When I was 16, she gave me a Thesaurus for Christmas. Inscribed in it was a message hoping that I would follow her path of being a writer. I had mentioned my interest to her once, and she had remembered it. At the time, I didn't fully appreciate the gift, but now after publishing three mystery novels, I'm just starting to get it. She saw something in me that I didn't see at the time.
The last time I saw her, she was suffering from dementia. Family members took her around the room and reintroduced her to other family members. When they brought her to me, she smiled and said "writer." It meant everything to me. She remembered.
In the end, my aunt published 13 books. A number of them are displayed proudly in one of my office bookcases beside that Thesaurus. They may not have made it to the New York Times best seller list, but they were quite an accomplishment. From her, I learned that it was the process that was important, the pure joy of creating.
It took me years to decide to write my first novel. And now, I am proud to say that I'm following her example. It's the creativity that's important.
Rest in peace, Marjory Barnum Hinman.
When I was 16, she gave me a Thesaurus for Christmas. Inscribed in it was a message hoping that I would follow her path of being a writer. I had mentioned my interest to her once, and she had remembered it. At the time, I didn't fully appreciate the gift, but now after publishing three mystery novels, I'm just starting to get it. She saw something in me that I didn't see at the time.
The last time I saw her, she was suffering from dementia. Family members took her around the room and reintroduced her to other family members. When they brought her to me, she smiled and said "writer." It meant everything to me. She remembered.
In the end, my aunt published 13 books. A number of them are displayed proudly in one of my office bookcases beside that Thesaurus. They may not have made it to the New York Times best seller list, but they were quite an accomplishment. From her, I learned that it was the process that was important, the pure joy of creating.
It took me years to decide to write my first novel. And now, I am proud to say that I'm following her example. It's the creativity that's important.
Rest in peace, Marjory Barnum Hinman.
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