The Message in the Memory

Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose.  
~From the television show The Wonder Years

Last night I spoke to a group of parents and their children at an elementary school in Gaithersburg, MD in Montgomery County. I talked about my writing process and how my book Grandma's Purple Flowers was based on memories I had of my grandmother when I was growing up. I talked about how she rode the Greyhound bus from Atlanta to Chicago in summer to visit. I talked about the memories that had amazing effects on me, such as the gold teeth in Grandma's mouth and how I used to comb her long silver hair until she'd fall asleep. Many of these memories crept into my story. Memories are powerful things. If we entertain them, you'd be surprised how fruitful they could be.