Find The One Thing That Makes You Alive, and Chase It
How a dying author published an amazing book
I used to take my grandmother Mary to the park on summer days when I was home from University.
She loved to sit in the sunlight on a warm bench by the expansive lawn, twiddle her thumbs contentedly, and watch the kids laugh and play on the swings and slides. “Isn’t this grand,” she’d say in her soft, Irish lilt.
Our family lived in Los Gatos, California, but Mary came from the old country. Her early years were spent along the verdant grasslands, rocky headlands, lakes, faerie circles, and stunning coastline of County Kerry, Ireland.
I suppose the slower rhythms and folklore of the Irish countryside had a lot to do with Mary’s angelic personality and serene disposition. I can’t recall ever seeing her angry.
Mary lived in a cozy apartment in downtown Los Gatos, and her days were filled with baking, strolls into town, shopping, and Sunday masses at St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
Above all, the one thing that made Mary feel alive and happiest was family. Family was where she devoted all her energy and love. Family was what motivated her most to get up every day.
