As the author of Among the Sunflowers: A Memoir of a Mother’s Love for her Son and his Poems of Addiction, Relapse, and Recovery, I want the reader to know so much more about me than just that I am the mother of an addict. I am a person, whole, complex, and complicated. I am still working to find my way in life just like everyone else. I am each of you and none of you. I am strong, but I have sometimes been very weak and frail. As I state in my book, addiction “rocked me to the core” of my being, but it does not define me. It does not define my son, Mike, either. He is also a person on his own journey.
My profession was teaching, and I was good at it. I love children and their confident, uplifting attitudes about life. They smiled at me, and I couldn’t help but smile back and offer them all I had inside me so they would learn. I am still that way with my grandkids now that I’m retired. The teacher in me didn’t end when I retired.
I am a woman who believes that a loving God has always been there for me and my family, even when I couldn’t see him/her or feel their presence. Not everyone comes at a problem from that perspective, but I hope the reader will connect with our story on some level anyway.
I want you to know that I love writing, mostly in my journals, but I love words! My word for the year 2023 was enough. I have written enough about our lives. I am good enough, strong enough, and brave enough to put our book out into the world. I hope our book finds its way into the hands of readers who will relate to it and find a blessing in it. 2024 brings a new word, and I will write more about that later...stay tuned!
I want you to know that I enjoy beaches and the sound of the waves as I walk along them. I love looking out on the water from our beautiful home and spending time with my husband. I love sunshine, sunrises, sunsets, and, of course, sunflowers. I love books and art, crafting, and scrapbooks. I still love babies and children, too. I love good food and wine and spending time with friends and family. I love the outdoors and have been walking and gardening much better since I got a new knee in 2022.
May you know me through our words, and may our story bless you.
Gail Mehlan
Our book is available through Amazon and other booksellers.
It is also available from our website directly: GM Creative Sunflower Arts
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