Hi everyone — sending a quick note letting you know I’m honored to be Diana Jackson’s guest over on “Selections of Reflections” with the following story.
Happy Happy Happy ~ Guest Post by Pat Ruppel
I hope you’ll drop by, leave a comment and share the love.
Thank You!
Pat at the ol’ kitchen table
Personal Photo – Pat Copyright 2012
Who I Am
It’s autumn and an icy rain has just fallen.
You can see the breath of a 7-year-old girl huddled in the dark, cold streets of an East coast suburban neighborhood with an ice pick in her hands about to flatten some tires.
Her mother crazed with jealousy sent her on this mission in an attempt to falter an imaginary affair between her dad and a neighbor.
Fast forward to a warm, balmy day in a small, southern beach town where this girl and her grandmother reunite with grandfather, sister and cousins for their annual vacation.
Summer excursions with Grandmom, ghost stories and simple love and truths accepting her for who she is are the saving grace and essence of who she wants to become. This is where I find myself – this is where I am loved.
What I Do
There are many tales to tell that got me from that suburban street to where I now live in Colorado and it started with writing these stories and what I’ve learned to become. It gets more interesting, as daily life ebbs and flows. Days, months, years pass and intriguing family characters emerge as stories of my life unfold.
I write about the magic of love, forgiveness, despair, faith and the supernatural. I write to find understanding and wholeness in my life from what I see as a mixed-up world yearning to connect with one another and find meaning.
The more I tell these stories the more I realize how unique they are in the telling yet not unlike a similar story someone else would tell in trying to make sense of it all.
Why I Do What I Do
I want to connect with others, touch a place in their heart and help them feel loved. I want to help them find who they are by telling stories and give them hope as my grandmother did for me many years ago. Some of the stories may make you laugh when I tell of my “fruitcake moments”. Or they may be similar to yours in the telling of an imaginary friend, mother’s jealousy, 3 rabbits, rooster named Goldie or grandmother’s backyard connection to a funeral home to name several.
In the crafting of my story, I hope it gives a little insight on who I am and together in some small way maybe we can make the world a better place for having just lived to pass along our life’s tales.
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Who in your life was the most influential? Sometimes it’s a member of the family – sometimes it just a best friend. But, whoever it is, they have made the most impression in your life and even today you can think back on them and have warm feelings.
The one who was the most impressionable for me was my grandmother. She had a presence about her that was warm and welcoming. I can remember, when I was younger, teaching her how to add zip codes to an address or how to look up a number to dial on the telephone. Before, their phone did not have a rotary dial and you just picked it up and asked the operator to connect you to who you wanted to talk to. I know it sounds like I’m talking about the Dark Ages but this was only in the late 50’s early 60’s. It was a small town in Virginia and they were not privy to the latest technologies. Grandma only went through the 2nd grade but she could write cursive and add and read. Grandpop on the other hand couldn’t read or write – well, he was taught to write his name but that was all he could write. Whatever they lacked in an opportunity for an education they made up for in values, integrity, work ethic, love and compassion and passed it onto us.
What I loved most about my grandmother was how comfortable she was with herself and because of this you felt accepted and comfortable too. She allowed you to be yourself and she honored it. She didn’t try to change you. When we would talk, I would feel like we talked from soul to soul and genuinely connected. She was the type of person that because she loved you in such a pure way, you never wanted to disappoint her.
In addition to being religious, Grandma was psychic which made for some interesting events. One night after we went to bed my cousin in one of the connecting bedrooms said she heard a clock ticking. It sounded like it was in the wall just 
Who is that special someone that most impressed you? How have they contributed to who you are today? Are they still alive and can you still get in touch with them and, if not, their memory will always keep their presence fresh by your side as if they never left.
I love you Grandma, wherever you are today! Thank you for influencing my life and being a big part of who I am today!
