Raccoon Tales
About "Raccoon Tales"A word from Joy Dekok Ten years ago, I started writing a cute kid’s book. I wrote some stanzas of poetry and put those words together with some photographs. I kept working on it but two other kid’s books came into my heart and I knew they were to come before this first book. I kept refining the first story while I focused on the others. For a long time, it wasn’t the right time. This year, that’s changed. Raccoon Tales is in the process of publication. It is a story born of personal experience. Yes, we rescued, raised, and released five baby raccoons. Looking back at the first verses and those photos, this is a story whose time has come because of the constant refining the writing went through. Every time I picked it up to cruise through it just one more time, I found a way to make it better. I picked it up dozens of times and I have the print outs to prove it. Each word sifting brought about an improvement in the book and in my process as a writer. I’m thankful for every single minute I spent on this project. Praying. Editing. Praying. Re-writing. And then, praying again. I also had the privilege of living the surprise of becoming a raccoon mom for a time and the sweet sorrow of letting them go when they were ready. I watched them disappear into the woods and realized, my prayers for their lives had been answered, and my dreams for them had come true. They were free. A certainty pressed itself into my heart. God watched us take care of these wild ones we loved so much. He trusted them into our temporary care. Words cannot express the privilege it was. Now, there’s another release taking place before the book itself is released. I’ve let it go to the publisher - it is done. I am content with it’s content. Writing is a series of letting go experiences. Soon, I will set the words of this story free for readers. It leaves my care covered in prayer. I am no longer day dreaming about how it will sound or look. Now, I’m day dreaming about little children enjoying it and understanding the most important fact of all. God loves them and wants a relationship with them. These little raccoons came to us wild and we returned them to the wild certain both were God’s plan for us and them. I’m thankful for these little tales and for the little ringed tails that inspired them! |
