Raising Mother Nature: From Concept to Completion

I remember sitting in a chair across from the program director for the Creative Writing program at Antioch University Midwest in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Of course, I knew my qualifications hardly met the curriculum, as I was mainly illiterate. I had no idea if my being there insulted this man’s intelligence. He was a gracious host and challenged me to succeed beyond my setback. The program provided a cohort-style learning model, and the professors were exceptional scholars and professionals from specified fields in literature.

During my first year in the program, I built friendships with mentors who recognized my talents and encouraged me to take every opportunity seriously. My peers were dynamic creators whose understanding of the language and practices of creative writing fascinated me. I fell in love with their individuality and creativity. I was asked by the Director of the Antioch Writers’ Workshop to participate as a workfellow volunteering in the courses and lectures. Meeting so many influential writers, agents, and publishers inspired me to become a part of this community of brilliance.

Once the soulfulness seeped into my intellectual consciousness, I began writing from places where realism dwelled, and emotions conveyed everything in a descriptively expressive manner. The more words that ended up at the top of my mind, the better my abilities became. A decade later, with a mastery of the process and my talents, I am a writer with a unique voice. My manuscript became a male version of an adventurous tale, but when I invited my foster mother to edit each chapter with me. She added the female perspective to the characters, and they came to life. Our collaborative efforts meshed perfectly. Making things better is what moms do.

Now, after an experience unexplainable, I have completed something extraordinary. My foster parents took me to see To Kill a Mockingbird at a local theater in Dayton, Ohio. As I watched Scout voice her emotional concerns for other characters, a soft voice leaned into my ear and said, “Do you see it?” I turned to my foster father and asked, “See what?” He looked at me strangely, his expression blank. Later, after we had gone home, I had time to think about the occurrence. I thought about my struggles to write from the depths of my true-to-life experiences.

It was that very night my manuscript came together. I knew my foster mother was a necessary part of the direction, after all, we lived the narrative. Raising Mother Nature represents the extension of family and the destruction of a natural one. God co-authored my book to speak boldly about circumstances that may be uncomfortable for readers. I did my part by setting aside my emotions and connecting the present day with forgiveness, and a past filled with abuse faded, and the people who caused such harm became the perfect reason to love. I needed to love in this way to heal.

Just like the project came together with the proper creators, so shall more intuitive creators and influencers shape and publish this title. Together, we will change the world, and humankind can figure out how to rectify the mess humanity keeps making worse.

I'll make the world proud of me yet. I'll make my mark. Who else will make a difference with me?