"Just a Doodle?" by Janice Luckey
– “If the test was positive, what would I do about it?”
Tipping the scales at four pounds and four ounces, our first granddaughter arrived still shimmering with heaven’s leavings.
Janice Luckey, who lives in Mooresville, North Carolina, remembers when writing became a rhythm of her life. She scribbled a romance novel in a 3-ring binder in junior high school sparking a life-long love of all things writerly—writing, reading, journaling and hoarding office supplies. Janice is fueled by the love and support of her family and most anything chocolate. When not writing, she can be found making memories with her husband and four granddaughters, or roaming the aisles at the library, bookstores, and Staples.
Author’s Talk
Janice Luckey
Merritt
There is nothing more special than a grandchild, right? Everything they say and do melts your heart and it’s especially so with a grandchild with special needs. For many years I wanted to tell Merritt’s story but just could not find the right opportunity. PSPP’s Foiled presented the perfect context in which to tell of my daughter’s broken dream and its “blessing buried in the broken pieces.” (lyric by Zak Williams) She had to grapple with life-or-death choices and her faith put to the test. It took courage and some Divine intervention for her to rise to the occasion as she did. I also wanted the story to be a light to those who might be facing similar choices and decisions. “While I do not believe that everything happens for a reason, I do believe everything comes with an invitation. When we learn to rise, we show others how to rise, too,” writes Shauna Niequist in Celebrate Every Day. I couldn’t agree more. At each difficult crossroads, we face choices, and, in this case, the result was Merritt, the joy of our life!
Additional insights pertaining to children with Down syndrome:
The late Bill Donohue wrote in PSPP’s Trouble about the art of caregiving for those with special needs as well as the triumphs of his son with Down syndrome.
Emily Perl Kingsley paints a beautiful metaphor in her wonderful story, “Welcome to Holland,” which you can easily find with a quick Google search.