First, thank you for choosing this book! For me, it carries a lot of meaning in the pictures and the spaces between the lines. A little backstory - My first son, Andrew aka Monkamelly (I have no idea where we came up with the nickname), lived to be four months old. He was born with severe heart complications. The doctors told us he would not live to be more than two weeks old, but with the outpouring of love he received from his family, he decided to stick around longer. Much longer. He still visits us in the form of a dragonfly (“Monkamelly”) today.
My brief stay with Andrew at Boston Children's Hospital left an imprint in my memory that I cannot erase. So many sick children and so many heartbroken families. Why are children born sick? This is a question I’ve been asking myself for literally decades now. I created a fundraiser in 2019 to benefit the Make-A-Wish foundation families (see back of inside cover for details). Proceeds from this book is another way to get me closer to achieving that goal. I may not be able to help the children that were born sick, but I can help create some happy memories for them and their families.
I also have a few more books that I plan on publishing, and I’ve been teaching classes to kids ages 8-11 that provide a basic understanding of WHY it is so important to make healthy choices. My hope is to encourage kids to nourish their bodies with real food, clean water, ample movement, good sleep, and good thoughts so that they will take charge of their own self health. Maybe they’ll ask for the apple instead of the Froot Loops? Or cut their online scrolling 20 minutes short to allow for some important mental downtime before bed? Making these simple healthy choices while they’re young will impact their growth and their overall health throughout their entire life. I’m going to try my darndest to help keep the kids that are born healthy, to stay that way!
Andrew was tiny, and his time here was short, but he came with a mighty gift. It was a message that still lives in me 20 years after his “passing”. His message of strength and courage gave me permission to break from the day to day, and take time to figure out what's really important to me. I stopped my life as a human-doing or a human-going and have embraced what life is as a human-being. I “be” a lot and it's awesome! Just being has allowed me to create this book you’re about to read, along with many other amazing discoveries about myself that I didn’t know.
I believe we are all here with a gift. A gift that is unique to each of us that makes us feel truly happy. If you haven’t discovered your gift yet, I suggest you take some time to slow down, disconnect from your societal norms, tune into your real self and listen. You will never have the time. You need to make the time. I promise it will be worth it. What's the best that could happen?
Before you turn the page to begin reading, please pause. Take a deep breath and realize how lucky you are to be reading to the small human(s) in front of you. Settle in and make the most of this time. Listen when they speak and answer thoughtfully. Laugh together. Use this opportunity to create some memories. Be in the moment. This is what life is really about. All the rest is just stuff.
Enjoy the moments that follow :o)
Jody Ellis
Author
