A Seed is Planted

I was lying in bed one afternoon when the phone rang. Seeing it was my mom, I answered and we lightly chit chatted for a moment. Then, a lull fell over the conversation, and she said, “I have a project, and you can tell me no, but just hear me out.” Instantly, my mind raced. What could this project be? My knee-jerk reaction was a loud (but silent) nooo! I had tried projects in the past and was unable to complete them due to my low energy levels and cognitive impairment. I was already drained, and I knew she was aware of that too.

“What if we wrote a children’s book about chronic illness from your experience as being a mom with a chronic illness and included your kids as well?” She asked. A lightbulb went off in my head. I had always wanted to write a children’s book and writing a book about a child with a chronically ill parent was my life story! Suddenly, my mind was spinning, but in the best way possible. I told her I’d think about it. She encouraged me to write down different situations that had happened over the years. It was amazing how quickly the memories and ideas started flowing. My mom’s idea sparked something in me and I couldn’t hold back.

 Ideas Started Springing up like Wildflowers

 I found myself occupied with thoughts at night, unable to sleep. During the day, fragments of moments would pop into my mind, and I didn’t hold back—I bombarded her with texts filled with ideas. I envisioned the schoolwork and drawings that had been slid under my door over the years, a silent reminder to my kids that when my door was shut, mom was to be left alone.

I remembered the times I had to tell the kids no when they wanted a friend over because I was just too tired to handle the noise and chaos. I recalled falling asleep during the day, most every day, overwhelmed by exhaustion. And those headaches! I felt like I was always telling them, “Mom has a headache, please keep it down.” I can’t count the number of times I knelt on my bed in an upside down position with the heating pad wrapped tightly around my head. It happened so often the kids thought nothing of it.

The ideas kept flowing, and my mom and I would discuss them together, refining each one. In just a few weeks, we had a children’s book about chronic illness and illustration ideas for every page. That’s when the very beginnings of “Twirl with Me, Mama!” were born. The situations in the book reflect the real moments from our home, capturing my journey as a full-time mother navigating life while unaware of my chronic illness. I was just trying to survive each day.

Beauty on the Pages

But for such a beautiful story, I knew I needed equally beautiful illustrations. I searched the web until I discovered Emma Valenghi and immediately fell in love with her drawings. When she agreed to illustrate the story, I was over the moon. I’ll never forget when she told me about her reaction to the story the first time she read it—she became teary connecting with the emotions we had poured into the pages. It felt like everything was falling into place, and I knew we were creating something special.

Twirl with me, Mama! Blossoms

My mom’s idea truly sparked something beautiful! I felt like I was peeling back layers of experiences, revealing what created our beautiful family. ”Twirl with Me, Mama!” captures Ivy’s emotions—her happiness, sadness, and even anger—as she learns to adapt to living with a parent who has a chronic illness. It’s a story that resonates with families, showing that our differences are what make us unique and special. I hope it helps others understand the beauty in our struggles and the love that binds us together, no matter the challenges we face.