What’s in the Works

A 2020 Story is a memoir, a collection of memes, headlines and photographs, a cookbook, a cocktail book, and a year-long day-by-day account of how one survives a global pandemic. It was written by accident due to my plan to post my progress on my New Year’s Resolutions on Facebook in the year 2020. I didn’t know that my resolution would lead to a very detailed story of a year we all will never forget. My story is not unique in that it is a 2020 story. We all have one. It is unique in that this 2020 story was written in detail by a language arts teacher of 24 years, the mother of a 2020 high school graduate, a wife, an ex-wife, and just a regular person with some goals for the new year.  My story is relatable, humorous, and painful at times, but the honesty and simplicity of it will appeal to mothers, teachers, people who drink and eat, and other pandemic survivors who will recall the roller coaster of events that year as well. And it all started because I write with my students and wanted to teach them how to write a good story because, true or make-believe, our stories help all of us learn, but only if we share them.

There once was a little girl named Mallory. She had sadness in her heart because her parents had gotten divorced. Suddenly, she had to live in two different houses and go to a whole new school. She never thought she could be truly happy again until one day when she came up with an idea. If she could convince her mom that they were ready to have a dog, then Mallory knew she would be happy once again. 

Ginger is a children’s book about the love between a girl and her rescue dog. As is the story when a shelter dog becomes part of a new family, it is difficult to tell who is really the rescued one and who is the rescuer.  This is a heartwarming true story about a little girl I knew, and it is proof that beautiful and true happiness can still be found, even after a difficult time. 

 Illustration by Alexis Meredith