Inspiration For and From Readers

It wonders me how many people have read the 565 copies of "Journey With Jeff" which are in a dozen libraries, or in their own library, and who have passed it on! One of my friends at church bought a copy, declared it "Fantastic!" and told her daughter, who is a nurse, "You have got to read this!" Her busy daughter made it a point to tell me, "I like the format, because the chapters are short. This makes it easy to read, put down, and pick up again."~~~The young music teacher who wrote the Forward to "Journey With Jeff" exclaimed, "The book really has taken on a life of its own, hasn't it?!?" She sometimes quotes a tidbit or two to the parents of her special needs students, hoping they will want to pick it up and read more.~~~One of the young neighbors we met when we first moved to Hamlin, NY, in 1976, is now a policeman. He saw the book in the library, recognized my name, and when he saw my husband at the library, he made a point of telling him he had read it. I am anxious to get in touch with him to hear his response to the story of Jeff, who was just about his age when we were neighbors. Yes, "Journey With Jeff" seems to have taken on a life of its own! It's pretty exciting, and I relish every single response from my readers!!

Music Lover

Look closely at that face ~~ innocent? Plotting? Maneuvering? Mom has just said, "Get down! Now!" after a book in Jeff's hand "helped" the record player play the records. This photo is an illustration of one of the stories in "Journey With Jeff" about his love of music, which began very early. As soon as he discovered that melodies came from that box we called the record player, Jeff climbed up as close as possible to watch and to listen. One of his favorite albums was A Child's Introduction to the Orchestra. He learned the sounds of all the instruments, often pointing them out within the music being played. "Bass Fiddle, Mom!" he'd shout out with glee. We were hearing more and more words, and delighting in Jeff's delight. When the music began at a church service, Jeff's head lifted from whatever he was doing, ready to sing along in "Jeffanese" with the congregation. By the time he was an adult, people were aware he was attending church that Sunday when they heard his voice singing the melody -- just one beat behind. (FYI, Jeff did get down. He left the book on a table and climbed right back up.)

Local Authors' Extravaganza at Liftbridge

This was the third Local Author's Extravaganza I've attended, and the largest one yet! It's great to bask in the energy of writers, known and unknown, and to meet new ones. There were refreshments, and a chance to talk with others about their books, and 5 - 10 minutes for each author to read excerpts from his or her book ~~ some good, and some just not my style. I chose to read "Welcome to Holland," by Emily Peri Kingsley (permission to include it in "Journey" granted by the author,) and "Jeff's Delight" about his love of music. Then I added the response I received from a mother in GA, who said, "In short, what I want to say is that "Journey With Jeff" has helped me to work through the last of my 'mourning' over the loss of the child I'd hoped for and welcome with open arms the trip to Holland instead." I am saving all these responses with the hope to include them in a sequel about how Jeff has blessed so many with his story. ~~~ One of the people attending this event was a legally blind, little person who is studying Social Work at Brockport SUNY. Very interesting to talk with, he bought "Journey With Jeff" in book form and as a CD, asking me to sign them both. Perhaps he'll be a key to having a professor use this book as a text for his or her class?!?!? That will certainly get "Journey" out there!!!!

Ernie & Wendy ~ Then & Now

The LAI clients were enjoying the upbeat music at the 30th Anniversary, and Ernie and Wendy, Bob and I were enjoying their enjoyment. I said to Wendy, "Boy, Jeff would sure love being out there on the dance floor!" "O yes," she said, "He'd be in heaven!" We laughed when I said, "He is in heaven!" We remember how much fun he had at other LAI celebrations!~~~ The first paragraph of the chapter titled, "Ernie and Wendy" in "Journey With Jeff " explains that "Ernie Haywood was part of the administrative staff at LAI, and his wife, Wendy, was on Jeff's residence staff on South Avenue in Brockport. They were such good friends of Jeff's that they asked him to be their special guest at their wedding. Ernie complains good-naturedly to this day, "Jeffrey got the first dance with my wife.!"~~~ Ernie and Wendy have given so much of themselves to LAI residents. There is more in the book about being "Surprised at Wendy's Farm," where the residents went one hot July 4th to visit the new baby horse. Wendy's dad gave Jeff a gift that he couldn't quite believe he had in his hand. Read about it in "Journey With Jeff: Inspiration for Caregivers of People with Special Needs," on page 291.

Praying With Lior - A Documentary by Ilana Trachtman

This is a photo of Jeff and Jennifer with their rocking, singing grandmother (my mom!) It illustrates the feeling of family that was obvious in the film, "Praying With Lior." I've been waiting to see this documentary since someone recommended it to me in February. It tells the story of Lior, a Jewish boy who is preparing for his Bar Mitzvah. Lior's mother was a rabbi, and when he was little, she rocked, and sang the prayers in the Psalms to him with much delight and enthusiasm. He grew up loving the beat of the music, and began making the prayers lively for the worshiping community. ~~~ An Excerpt from "Journey With Jeff"~~ "And all your children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of your children." Isaiah 54:13 (Jewish Bible.) "Meanwhile, Jeff continually surprised us with his understanding of God's love and presence in our lives. One evening we were singing around the table after supper and were astounded when he seemed to know all the words of the first verse of 'Beautiful Savior.' How we praised him and cheered him on!! An Easter service on TV caught Jeff's ear. 'Church!' he exclaimed. There was a wide grin on his face when he recognized the 'Hallelujah Chorus.' At our own Sunday worship, he often sat with a friend and his family, whose mom said Jeff was a good, quiet exmple for her own children. Wow! Thank You, Lord!! Jeff learned the motions to 'Jesus Loves Me' at Sunday School and combined them with his record at home. He clapped at the word yes in 'Jesus Loves Me' to convince me to start singing it with him from the beginning. He also enjoyed the music and motions for 'Climb, Climb Up Sunshine Mountain,' and 'Two Little Eyes.' We were glad to see this really meant something when Jeff was sick with a cold and couldn't breathe. He'd implore me to, 'Talk to God, Mom!' The Amen at the end of our prayer was emphasized by his quiet, 'Yeah!'" The page's closing prayer was, "All praise to You, O God, for the faith You have given Jeff! Amen!" ~~~ Imagine...Jeff and Lior being good friends, and making happy Jewish music together!

Don't Quit, Keep Playing

"This is a story about Ignace Paderewski, Poland's famous concert pianist. A mother who had ambitions for her own young son's piano playing bought tickets for a Paderewski concert. When the night of the concert arrived, the mother and her son found their seats near the front of the auditorium and kept their eye on the great, majestic Steinway on the stage. Soon the mother was talking to a friend in the seat next to hers and her son slipped away unnoticed.~~~When eight o'clock arrived the spotlights dimmed. The audience became very quiet and only then did they notice the young boy up on the piano bench, innocently fingering "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."~~~Needless to say, his mother gasped, but before she could jump from her seat to retrieve her son, the master pianist himself appeared on stage and quickly moved to the keyboard. "Don't quit, keep playing," he whispered to the boy.~~~Leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in the base part. Then his right arm reached around the other side, encircling the child, to add a running treble part. Together, the old master and the little boy held the crowd spellbound.~~~In the same way we know the master surrounds our lives and whispers in our ear, time and again, "Don't quit, Keep playing." (Excerpt from "Journey With Jeff." Photo ~ Jeff at four years old, entertaining a friend.)