Why I write:

At the end of the movie, Braveheart, Scottish hero, William Wallace is subjected to a gruesome sequence of tortures.  As he is suffering unspeakable torment, his eyes lock on a young boy perched on his father’s shoulders.  The sweet faced child embodies the essence of innocence.  I was overcome with emotion watching the silent exchange between Wallace and the boy. 

Wallace’s suffering and death was for a cause – the privilege of living free from tyranny and providing a better life for the generations to come. The story brought something to the forefront that our culture is rapidly losing sight of; there are things worth dying for. 

There are also things worth living for.  In my case it’s my grandchildren, and the generation they represent.  I’m not sure I would be a good martyr – so while I’m alive, I pray the messages that come from my pen (not my sword) bring hope to the destitute, freedom to the oppressed, healing to the wounded, and life to those who feel they can’t go on.

“Keep hope alive!” is not just a socially relevant phrase thrown into my book – it a declaration and an invitation to those who feel overwhelmed by life’s struggles.  There is hope!  There are reasons to press through the hard stuff and believe for a better future.

During a critical scene in the movie, Wallace asks his fellow freedom fighters, “You know what happens if we don’t try? . . . nothin’.”  If we don’t join together and hope for, work for, and contend for a better tomorrow it will never materialize.  You’ve heard it said that bad things happen when good people do nothing. From hope’s perspective – good things happen when we choose hope – and true hope never disappoints.

It’s not just for me… it’s for them.