I’ve been a reader all my life. There are pictures of me in my crib curled up around the book I was “reading” as I fell asleep. Similar photos exist of me even in high school … and even now, my husband has been known to turn off my Kindle after I have fallen asleep reading the latest Karen Kingsbury novel.
My parents are also readers. My mom has an affinity for Steven King and Robin Cook. My dad leans toward Calvin Miller or re-reading any of Tolkien’s works for the hundredth time. Both my brothers are book-lovers as well. My grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins … the whole lot of us on both sides of the family … we’re all readers.
No surprise then that my dream of being a writer has been encouraged by pretty much everyone in my family. But the voices that have spoken into my dreams the longest are those of my parents. From reading early attempts at poetry and short stories to editing term papers and, most recently, reading my blog, my mom and dad have believed in my ability for as long as I can remember.
That made this moment incredibly special:
That’s my parents taking their first look at Prayers from the Pews. To see them as a part of the dream they nurtured, encouraged, supported, and celebrated—that was a memory forever etched in my mind.
I asked my daddy what he thought of the book and he said, “It was very good.” And then I asked him what he thought as a pastor, not as my daddy. “This is not just a theory book about why to pray, it’s a guide that teaches how to pray. It’s very, very good.” {Read his “official endorsement” of the book.}
Now that might not be the endorsement that motivates you to buy the book … but it’s the one that means the most to me. My mom, who is not quite as verbose as my dad and I, simply said, “I really liked it. I’m so proud of you.”
Parents who believe in dreams, who nurture ability, and who celebrate accomplishment are a gift. And I am thankful for mine.
The print edition of my book is now available. I’ll be mailing copies to my parents today, with a long note to each of them about how much I appreciate them and the way they’ve been my cheerleaders all these years.
Tell me, how have your parents encouraged your dreams?
{linking with the Life in Bloom community, to celebrate how God is at work in our lives}
So blessed to be nearly neighbors over at Denise’s place today…
And I’m all blurry-eyed now, seeing your parents hold your word in their hands. ugh! What a gift. I have your words on my kindle, too, and am soaking in them the last two evenings. I’ll wait until I’m done to formulate how they’re stirring my heart ; )
My parents have been my biggest fans. Always showing me I’m capable of more than I imagined. I guess you could say they’ve helped formulate my dreams…
Thank you, Teri Lynne. Thank you for following your dreams.
Oh Nikki! What a blessing your comment is to me today. It is a gift to have parents who encourage us to dream and, even more, to dream big! I do look forward to hearing your response to the book.