In 1970, a young mother named Alice Douglas read Catherine Marshall’s seminal work, Christy. Six months later, she named her newborn daughter after the lead in that story. Twenty-two years later…
I married that Christy. This past weekend, Chasing Fireflies won the 2008 Christy Award, named in honor of Katherine Marshall’s work. This got me to thinking. Several years ago, when I was at my bottom, I reached down to pull myself up by my own bootstraps and they were broken. Along with parts of me. My Christy reached down, met me where I was and gave me the freedom to be me when I needed it. When I wasn’t sure I could. When my folder of rejections was growing thicker by the day. And she did so in the face of some strong pressure to the contrary. Yes, I’m honored that Fireflies won the Christy Award (after having been a finalist on two previous occasions) but it would be unfair to say ‘I’ won it.