Recently, I photographed a wedding for a long time friend, whom I met while operating my photography business. When I met her she had a darling little girl who was very photogenic. (ps. she still is). Anyway, when I started writing books she reached out because her little girl had grown up and my series, Tales, South of Savannah (The Brooke and Maddie Stories) was perfect for her age. PS. Book five, in this series is underway and the final book of the stories.
It made my heart warm to know she had read them and I had hopes that they impacted her somehow it a positive way. Over the last couple of years I often wondered if my books made any difference for those who read them, and any author who tells you they don't wonder the same thing isn't being truthful. It's true when they say we are the hardest on ourselves.
Fast forward to this past Friday and I found myself at the wedding of my friend, to her soon to be husband. I saw her daughter (whose name ironically is 'Maddie') and she was all grown up. It had been sometime since I saw her, but she looked absolutely stunning, just like her mother.
Before the wedding the groom, Eric (Thank you for your service, Eric in the USAF.) who I had not yet met was kind enough to chat with me about my photography and the photos I had taken of a young Maddie, his soon to be step daughter. He also mentioned that he loved my background story on my books. He said " I'll have to tell you about my story and one of your books after the wedding". I honestly couldn't imagine what he may tell me but I was eager to hear it. Was it going to be good feedback, or not? I wasn't sure but either way, I was happy to hear whatever it was.
After the wedding, we were just about done with photos and he and his beautiful wife were talking to me. He told me how he came across one of my books while sitting in a waiting room at the local vet's office. He noticed a book on the table and picked up the book because of the name of the book. It was "Brooke and Maddie" and his soon to be step daughter was named Maddie. So he reads the book while waiting and really enjoyed it.
He gets home and tells his soon to be wife about this book he read at the vet's office while waiting for their pet to be treated. He starts going on about the book and tells his fiancée about the book. He wanted to get the books for his soon to be step daughter. He had taken a picture of the book and pulled out his phone to show her the book. Imagine her surprise when she sees the photo. She says to him, " That's my friend, Kristi". She wrote the book and Maddie has the series!
Imagine my surprise, when he told me. I was really shocked that first of all my book had made it's way into a local business, second that a man who I didn't know picked it up to read it and third, I met him at his wedding to my friend! What were the chances of that sequence of events?
God used this moment to remind me of many things, but mostly that He gives us winks from time to time as a way to encourage us. It's not just a coincidence... It was a really full circle moment for me and a cool story to hear.
PS. Side note, the wedding was really pretty and she was a stunning bride, he was in his dress blues and they both made for a beautiful couple. Congrats to Aubrey and Eric on their special day.
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