Photo provided by Deborah Parker
Click on the below article link to obtain
background information to this blog post:
Deborah L. Parker shared more, “I wrote the primary
parts of a motivational memoir during the first year of grieving the loss of my
mother in March 2010. I gathered strength from our joint sojourns and the
guiding spirit of this bond of life.
My best ideas come from long walks around the woods or near water. God’s
majesty is so evident in the cycles of the seasons to the tiny details of
grass. And, He speaks to me when I tune in to this beauty.
My mother is my spiritual co-author and the power
of nature provided the creative outlet for me with the metaphors and stories of
Navigating Life's Roadways: Stories of
Insight from My Odyssey and Inspiration for Your Journey, which was
published July 2011.”
She continued, “Many readers can identify with the
aspects of our mutual struggles and triumphs as we circumvent life. Sprinkled
with humor, proverbs and scriptural references, I cement the take aways from the
stories. It can be purchased on amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com”
Deborah’s spirit has
changed, “The power of my mother's love has become so evident
in a very spiritual way since her passing. She knew I wanted to write a book
(dream of 20 years). My intuition has sharpened as I seek God's design for my
life. When he says, ‘Move,’ I move, speaking to me first thing in the morning. In
my book, I take readers along as I chronicle the
insights from my determined single parent upbringing in the home of my wise
grandparents on to college, an army reserve officer career to corporate
manager, entrepreneur and now published author. I have travelled many paths
since then that have provided hard yet hearty lessons. These setbacks and
successes of my journey through family, career, health and relationship issues
are poignantly narrated in this well-received book.”
Deborah’s mother is still a support, “Reflecting on her determination as a parent and how
she lived her life has provided me motivation to keep her legacy alive. Going
through her personal items has produced messages from her through clippings of
poems to handwritten notes from her Bible studies. Pictures of family time, our
travels and seeing her involved in her passion of gardening have helped me so
much. We had mother daughter challenges, but I see those as part of the
assignment to make me who I am in my strengths and my limitations. I also keep
a few of her personal items close to me like having her coffee pot on my stove,
all very spiritual. So writing was very cathartic and a friend had mentioned
that grieving has such a range of emotions that it’s actually a good time to
write while everything is fresh at the surface.”
Her advice to someone suffering
bereavement, “Go through it, cry, be angry but ultimately put
your loved one’s life in perspective. Recognize the gifts they gave you
whether they were all good or not. It will take time to sort out all of the
emotions. Focus on their footprint and what they got to do in spite of how long
or short their earthly time was.”
She is helping others, “I manage a motivational
speaking, leadership and personal development workshop company, The DPJ
Training Group, located in Northern Virginia, specializing in seminars on
career, diversity, management and communications topics.
My mother’s grit as she raised
my three siblings and me in the home of my maternal grandparents, Joseph and
Pearl Parker, has all proven to be a blessing I couldn’t recognize at first.
Their common sense approach to handling life’s challenges has also guided
me. My business, The DPJ Training Group, stands for Deborah, Pearl and
Joseph, as I see their wisdom evident as my spiritual
business associates.”
You can email Deborah, dlparker6@verizon.net or
contact her through her website, NavigatingLifesRoadways.com
Thank you Kathy for posting my story. I hope other readers as well as writers will find inspiration in this message!
ReplyDeleteGod bless,
Deborah