My Book Baby

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“The inner life of any great thing will be incomprehensible to me until I develop and deepen an inner life of my own.” – Parker J. Palmer

The death of my dad and the birth of my daughter are forever tied together in my mind. The day that I finished all the plans and paperwork to try to get pregnant via IVF, I sat at my desk and thought, “Wow, my world is about to change.” And the next day my dad suddenly died in a bike accident and I thought, “No, not like that!”

Then I spent 9 months taking the recordings I’d made of my dad and the effort I’d begun to write about his life and creating a book about him. On a night in August, at the end of the day I’d finished the very last line edits for the book, I went into labor with Miss O.

The birth of my baby right after I’d put my metaphorical book baby, Finding My Father’s Faith, to bed has meant that I haven’t thought much about the book in the last seven years. Until someone like the wonderful and insightful Vicki Atkinson of the Victoria Ponders blog comes along and reminds me of my book baby and I revisit the delight in the midst of grief of writing that for my dear dad.

Oops – I buried the lede – a podcast episode about my book

And I recently talked about the book, being a pastor’s daughter and the value of recording our loved ones with Troy Headrick in this Wise & Shine podcast. Here’s a link if you want to listen: Wynne Leon on Finding My Father’s Faith.

42 thoughts on “My Book Baby”

  2. Love, nothing but love, Wynne. ❤️❤️❤️
    I can’t recommend your beautiful book highly enough. Thanks for being so generous with your readers – both here and those who should wisely pick up your loving, inspirational memoir. Xo! ❤️

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  3. What a beautiful project, Wynne. My Dad died 7 years ago today on my young adult son’s birthday. I finally figured out that what seemed like a cruel irony is actually a blessing. The day can finally be infused with the memory of my only son who has brought much joy into my life and walks in his grandfather’s footsteps.

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    1. Evelyn, I got the chills reading that. You put your finger on that full circle experience that is both and. I’m sorry for your loss of your dad – but wishing your son a happy birthday and I’m so grateful that you affirmed the blessing in it all!

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  5. You and Evelyn have given lovely and hopeful models of what can happen as we process the coincident intertwining of joy and sorrow. Thank you, Wynne.

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  8. I really admire that you said you took the time to ask the questions and listen Wynne. You did that with intention. I loved my dad, but he was also an alcoholic, not getting sober until I was in high school. We finally began to have a life as father/daugher. He saw me married and got to spend time with all 3 of his grandchildren until one day in 1996 he was suddenly gone. I had believed we had all the time in the world. While my own intent was there, we never had those moments to ask and listen. Your dad’s legacy though is clearly manifesting in the way you and your own children live every day.

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    1. Thank you, Deb. I’m sorry your dad died suddenly and you didn’t get to live out your intent. But I love that you shared all that he did get to witness until then. And I love that with your family history writing that you are providing the answers and doing the work for your kids to build out. It’s so beautiful!

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  9. Blessings for your book and podcast! May you continue to reach out and inspire many, many more people!

    Liked by 1 person

  10. What an incredibly powerful intersection of two of your most significant life events, Wynne. Involving two of the very most important people in your life. Blessings on this book, inspired by that intersection.

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  11. Through the ups and downs and ups again of your life, it truly is inspiring and mesmerizing when you start to connect all the dots that there is a higher meaning and purpose in all the events.

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    1. Yes, yes, yes to connecting the dots and finding that higher meaning and purpose, Ab. I love this comment. It also makes me want to ask how your Ma is doing. Hope she’s doing okay!

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  12. I so love and appreciate the connection between your father and your child. Gives me chills to know this connection is real. I have begged family members and friends alike to write down their stories. Someone, at some time, will be so grateful for them doing so.

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