Behind The Cover

May 1st is a special day, but not only because my debut novel launches then. I actually chose to launch More To Me on May 1st because it’s the birth date of my youngest sister, who happens to be one of my biggest inspirations.

She will be turning ten this year, and she’s got more spunk and energy than all the rest of us siblings combined. December 2017 was her 8 year adoption anniversary, and I don’t know what any of us would do without her.

She’s tall, smart, and hilarious. She’s beautiful, stubborn, and kind. I could go on and on about the incredible characteristics of her, but I’ll save that for another time.

Instead, I’ll tell you a little of her story.

She was a preemie, born three months early at one pound, nine ounces. We met her when she was about three months old, and already, she’d had a heart surgery and was on oxygen and a heart monitor to keep her alive.

She was balancing on the edge of life and death from the moment her lungs took in her first breath of air. She was tiny, but she pushed through it.

When she came to live with us, along came her equipment — the tank of oxygen on a small wheeled caddy, and the heart monitor machine about the size of an iPad, but two inches thick.

Both of these were attached with cords to her body; the oxygen tube stickered onto her cheeks to keep the life-giving substance flowing into her nostrils, and the heart monitor attached to her frail chest, checking every beat of her heart.

She went through so stinkin much at such a young age, and I will always have a huge amount of respect for her and any others who have to spend the first hours, weeks, and months of life fighting to survive.

Watching her grow over the years has been one of the biggest privileges and gifts I could ever imagine. But I know where her story started, and it sure wasn’t a bright, beautiful place. It was lonely and difficult. It seemed hopeless.

But what I love about stories is the part about redemption. Whether my little sister came to be part of our forever family or not, she would be beautiful, loved, and created for a purpose. That is fact.

When people recognize the truth of these three things: beauty, love, and purpose, there is redemption.

Because all of a sudden, there is hope. All of a sudden, it’s easier to see that life does have meaning, and there is something worth fighting for.

So if you are at a point in life where you feel discouraged, like there’s no way out of this darkness, take a deep breath and meditate on those words.

You are beautiful, you are loved, and you were created for a purpose.

You can fight, just like my little sister.

She overcame her obstacles, and you can too.

To read my fiction book about conquering hard times and overcoming pain, visit Amazon.com on May 1st and search “More To Me by Saty Cornelius”.