The Never-Empty Nest: Toward the Light

Toward the Light

“Tell us about a time in your life when you found light in the darkness.” This was the on-line invitation to authors all over the world to submit stories and poetry to “Write for Light,” an anthology of short stories and poetry. The publisher’s mission is to raise money for an educational center in Ghana for poor and HIV-positive children and their families. All proceeds from the anthology are donated to charity. “Write for Light” looked like the perfect opportunity to publish “Halloween Hell,” an excerpt from my memoir, and do some good in the world.

I’m proud to report that the first volume of “Write for Light” is now hot off the presses, and it includes my story!

A total of 38 authors from across the globe contributed to the first edition of “Write for Light.” My fellow writers come from: Pakistan, Wales, England, the United States, Philippines, Macedonia, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Germany, Spain and Malawi. Our stories and poems touch on all kinds of difficult subjects, from living with multiple sclerosis, ADD and depression, to coping with the death of loved ones. My story, “Halloween Hell” is about the challenges of trick-or-treating with six year old twins, one of whom is on the autistic spectrum—and how our family navigated the experience, trying to have fun and remain upbeat in spite of our daughter’s embarrassing behavior.

The introduction to “Write for Light,” is written by Rebecca Kuntz, who heads the Education Center project for Light for Children, a non-profit organization. The goal of Light for Children is to raise $50,000 in order to build, run, maintain and equip the center with a computer lab, library and community center. From Ms. Kuntz’s website, it appears to me that they need about $30,000 more. That means selling a LOT of “Write to Light” books at $8.00 per copy, but if enough people believe in the cause it may be possible. Ms. Kuntz hopes to finish construction sometime in 2014.

Ms. Kuntz fell in love with Ghana while serving as a volunteer at Light for Children in 2011, after graduating from high school. Now only 20 years old, she left the University of Savannah to move to Ghana. She currently works full time to improve the lives of the vulnerable and disadvantaged children she has come to know and love. In addition to creating the Education Center and “caring for orphans, widows and the unloved,” Rebecca Kuntz’s goal is to “be a mother to 10+ and create opportunities for the children who inspire me daily.” As if these goals weren’t ambitious enough, she also dreams of adding a “friendly/recycled playground, art classes, summer camps, after school programs, women’s groups, farming, and children’s home.”

At a time when many people in our country are angry and bitter over the release of Trayvon Martin’s killer, it’s extremely uplifting to see a young white woman move to Ghana and devote herself to improving the lives of underprivileged black children and their families. How many 20 year olds of any race do you know that would be drawn so far out of their own world to relocate and work full-time to help less fortunate people from another continent?

If you would like to learn more about what the Education Center can provide and how it benefits the local community in Ghana, go to http://www.together-we-are.com/the -education-center/ and see Ms. Kuntz and the faces of all the smiling children whose lives are improving as a result of her efforts. Better yet, go to writeforlight.com and click on the Amazon or Amazon kindle box to order a copy of the anthology on Amazon.com. Maybe you’ll even feel inspired to submit your own story to Volume 2.

I’m not going to Ghana any time soon. I have all I can do to take care of my over-privileged family. But it’s nice to know that I can do a little good in the world by putting my words on paper.