Behind the Pages - Can't Bring Me Down

There's a medal for academic excellence hanging on Brianna's wall, awarded for achieving a perfect 4.0 grade-point average in a Bachelor's degree program in English and Creative Writing. She was about two and a half years old when she got it.

I'll admit the fingers flying across the keyboard over the course of that year were mine, but my little buddy can take all the credit for inspiring my words, and for giving me the courage to share my work with others all over the wild world of the internet.

The short story "Being Different" was the first to be shared on websites and Facebook pages run by moms of kiddos who, like Bri, rock an extra chromosome. They connected with the story, felt the anger and the pain of the main character, Sarah, as she stood up to those who used the R-word in reference to her little sister, Destiny. I'm not a parent (that story is for another blog post), so to hear that I'd been able to capture and express those mama bear emotions in a way that spoke to their hearts was extra special to me.

Every poem and story in Can't Bring Me Down has a backstory, and not a single one could have been written without a connection to another soul. Those connections are where the lessons live, side by side with the deepest loves and the greatest sorrows. For me, the truth tastes best when it's coated in fiction, so you'll recognize the hint of both in everything you read.

Because of Brianna, and all the friends we've made because of our connection to the I Run 4 community and the Rockin' Moms of the Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network, I had no intention of making money from the sale of Can't Bring Me Down. I was just the one who danced on the keys and put the pieces together. Everyone else who contributed - whether photos or memories, proofreading or just cheering me on - made this book a reality. I wouldn't be who I am, where I am, had it not been for that magical match that brought Brianna into my life and added purpose and meaning to not just my running, but to pretty much everything. So the book became a way for me to give back, if only just a little (but I'd really like to give more, so please feel free to buy a copy!!).

And already, not even six weeks after it's release, the connections continue to grow, and the possibilities amaze me daily. Words can do so much, if they're chosen with care. Choose to care.