Haunting Memories

About the Book

“Oh, no—” the anguished cry rang out. For a sister and her brothers, it was terrible news—of a death in the family—the death that left them dumbfounded. Broken hearted, here they were, a grand family suddenly bereft of a great part. It made no sense. “…Sorry to inform you,” the awful words struck like a thunderbolt. Mom and dad had crashed on their vacation trip. —So unfair, so unreal, so jarring…so final. All the siblings could think of was how much love was lost to them. Their parents were the linchpins; they were the finest; they were the most revered. At a loss due to a loss. So much love and affection was denied them in an unpredictable moment. What was to become of them? Mom with her daily wisdom. Dad with his usual counsel. Mom with her laugh. Dad with his wry humor. Mom with her catering and caring. Dad with his hugs and counsel. What will they do without them? The sister and her husband, the brothers and their wives, succumbed to the pain, weakening them. Where would the strength come from that was required to survive such a tragedy? When ravaged by happenstance, What holds the family together when hope and promise lose some of their dash? In the moments of crisis, inevitably, people are hanging on by hanging tough. That courage comes from their heritage, which is the real force, the saving grace. It’s not just what they have inherited in family lore, but the bond that ties endowment and legacy together in a triumvirate that can spark the spirit. Haunting Memories says something about how desire can influence perception; by allowing—or causing—us to see what we want to see. We wonder when they’re gone, Did we do enough for them? Did we express our love and affection often enough? Were we good to them? We aren’t going to be able to answer yes to all such questions without some reservation. –Because we’re never going to think we’ve done all that we could have or should have done for our loved ones. We can’t get our minds off them. We can’t let them go. We want them back. But we can’t have them back. They are where they are. –And we can’t get there from here.

About the Author

Originally from Chicago, he is a Michigan transplant, now of many decades. He graduated from Adrian College. Serving in the Korean Conflict, he returned to Michigan and attended the University of Michigan, acquiring an A.M. and a Ph.D. Human relations intrigued and moved him early on. His educational pursuits followed that interest into counseling, counseling psychology, and counselor education. The author went on to teach graduate students in counseling principles, practices and theory, as well as to supervise outreach counseling practicums—all of which prepared graduate students for licensing in careers in counseling and therapy. As a professor emeritus as well as when he was employed at Eastern Michigan University, he continued to prepare manuscripts for publication in professional journals. But gradually, and then completely, his attention turned to issues in which he had a vital and vested interest. Two manuscripts became books. This will be his third book, and a fourth is in process. Still, above all, he is devoted, not so much to scholarship or writing fiction, as to his family. This most recent book reflects on that love and affection, as well as on the influence family has on its members in terms of the bond embracing heritage, endowment, and legacy. He claims it to be ‘fiction with a heart.’ He enjoys writing, loves what he writes, but doesn’t always love what he’s written. Self-expression is a very powerful inspiration, and liberating, in his estimation. Consequently, it is inherently rewarding. One thing that becomes clear in his books is that issues more so than characters are integral. This is so, he asserts, because characters in a work of fiction are not real, no matter how much effort is put into making them so, whereas issues are likely to be both real and vital. Originally from Chicago, he is a Michigan transplant, now of many decades. He graduated from Adrian College. Serving in the Korean Conflict, he returned to Michigan and attended the University of Michigan, acquiring an A.M. and a Ph.D. Human relations intrigued and moved him early on. His educational pursuits followed that interest into counseling, counseling psychology, and counselor education. The author went on to teach graduate students in counseling principles, practices and theory, as well as to supervise outreach counseling practicums—all of which prepared graduate students for licensing in careers in counseling and therapy. As a professor emeritus as well as when he was employed at Eastern Michigan University, he continued to prepare manuscripts for publication in professional journals. But gradually, and then completely, his attention turned to issues in which he had a vital and vested interest. Two manuscripts became books. This will be his third book, and a fourth is in process. Still, above all, he is devoted, not so much to scholarship or writing fiction, as to his family. This most recent book reflects on that love and affection, as well as on the influence family has on its members in terms of the bond embracing heritage, endowment, and legacy. He claims it to be ‘fiction with a heart.’ He enjoys writing, loves what he writes, but doesn’t always love what he’s written. Self-expression is a very powerful inspiration, and liberating, in his estimation. Consequently, it is inherently rewarding. One thing that becomes clear in his books is that issues more so than characters are integral. This is so, he asserts, because characters in a work of fiction are not real, no matter how much effort is put into making them so, whereas issues are likely to be both real and vital.