Conquering Fear
Dear Priscilla Bennett Friends,
It’s the beginning of Labor Day Weekend and there is a hint of Fall in the air. I can’t believe the summer is almost over. Kids are getting ready to go back to school. We’re having a family cookout, and Harry and I are getting everything ready—hamburgers, hotdogs, his famous barbeque chicken, coleslaw and potato salad—twelve of us all together.
Today, I babysat Morgan again, and we played together until it was time for feeding and a nap. I lay on the floor with him, and we trilled together—he copying my sounds while trying to stick his tongue out like me. He grabbed my glasses and yanked them off my face with his little fingers, shrieking with delight. When I’m in the moment with this beautiful child, nothing else is important. It is such a release from all the every-day nonsense. We played with Reilly, and I watched Morgan’s eyes fixate on him, and then there were smiles and giggles from ear-to-ear as he reached out to grab Reilly who was sniffing his toes. As time went by, Morgan and Reilly got used to each other, and the fear of the unknown on both sides disappeared.
In my novel, fear drives Katie until she realizes she has nothing to loose. Fear keeps her a prisoner and paralyzes her from taking action—fear of being killed, fear of escaping, fear of losing her child and fear of not being able to support her. Slowly she chips away at it by taking action to protect herself and Rose. One step at a time, she begins to make a plan. She starts saving money from her pocket change. She gets a part-time job. Each step gives her a bit more confidence to continue to move forward towards freedom and a new life.
Take good care of yourselves,
PRISCILLA BENNETT XOXO