BLOG TOUR: Meet the girl who loved Rudolph
Meanwhile Elizabeth, from Mary Russel's novel Rudolph, A child's love story, has agreed to join me here for an interview. I hope you'll enjoy meeting her as much as I have.
How old are you Elizabeth? I'd be
63 now if Mary hadn't killed me off in my late 40s.
Can you tell my readers what you
look like--what you see when you look in a mirror? In my mirror, a fat, gray
haired woman. In my mind, I see a woman who has discovered that I am a
survivor, a woman who has seen enough of life to be able to feel for others.
Do you have lots of friends? No,
I have a few very close friends.
What do people say about you--to
your face? My closest friend says I am talented and she admires what I have
accomplished. On the other hand she also tells me I have no self-confidence and
that I am too withdrawn. Behind your back? What do you think they're
saying about you? Probably nothing I would want to hear.
What do people like about you? That
I’m strong, compassionate, and helpful.
Do you want to be liked? Too
much I think. Before I learned to like myself, I often sacrificed my identity
to become what I thought others wanted me to be so they would like me. That was
before I learned that it is more important that I like me and I couldn’t do
that if I wasn’t being me.
What do you like about yourself? That
my past has made me strong, adaptable, and caring.
Okay, can you tell us your biggest
secret? I used to dream that I killed my first foster parents. They made me
so angry when they would accuse me of things I didn’t do and then would not let
me defend myself. It’s like they were determined to believe the worst of
me.
What's the worst lie you've ever
told--the worst you'll admit to I mean? Strangely my lies, are more lies of
omission than actually expressed. I let people assume certain things and I
don’t bother to correct their assumptions.
What's the hardest thing you've ever
done? To forgive, accept, and embrace my past.
Was it worth
it d'you think? Oh most definitely! I had to in order to move forward.
Are you happy now? Happier
D'you think you will be happy, as
years go by? Each day it gets easier to accept that I am worthy of
happiness, so yes.
Is
there something else you'd really like us to know? I hope my story as told
in Rudolph, a Child’s Love Story will help others who are struggling
with acceptance learn how to accept themselves. We all want and need others to
love us but we can never find true peace and happiness until we love ourselves.
How very true, Elizabeth. Thank you for letting me interview you.
If you want to know more about Elizabeth, you can find Mary's book on Amazon or in Mary's bookstore at http://www.maryrussel.com/store.php Don't forget to look at Mary's other books while you're there, the Sleuth and Scribe teen-safe mysteries, plus Flickertail and Paint of course (see tomorrow's post!).
And thank you Mary for hosting Flower Child on your blog today.
And thank you Mary for hosting Flower Child on your blog today.
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