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There is a distinct chill in the air of Berkeley today. I felt it in the morning and put on a long sleeved shirt again. I felt it while walking to work holding my hot coffee instead of the usual iced one. I felt it creep through me with every dried and crunchy leaf I stepped on. Looking out the window, my gaze fixes on trees with leaves turning a vibrant red, when just last week they were a deep mid-summer green. So when I grabbed a copy of Reunion on the Rainbow Bridge: My Parents’ Past Lives and the One They Shared with Me, I realized that it would be the perfect book for a blog post on the transition of the seasons.
OK, I’m sure your brow is furrowing. How can a book about someone’s parents remind me of the changing seasons? Well, this is no ordinary book about parents. Sherri Defesche explains that the book began “as a biography of [her] parents, taking them from their Depression-era childhoods, through [her] mother’s tragic accident and into four decades of marital bliss.” With the death of her mother and floods of grief, Defesche turned her attention to the afterlife and what truth it held for her mother: “This longing to know the truth led me on a journey back through my life, as I excavated my religious beliefs. It required me to research the Bible and understand its origins, as well as ponder the beliefs of other religions.” Explaining that the Eastern belief of reincarnation took her “in a wildly unexpected direction,” Defesche then comes to the realization that the love story of her mother and father is bigger than this lifetime. In fact, “it had been going on for aeons.” Part biography, part history, and part metaphysics, Reunion on the Rainbow Bridge touchingly retells the story of her parents’ love and its manifestations throughout the passing centuries.
Concluding that no matter what the time period, no matter what the people, no matter what the circumstances, Defesche tells us that love is the common thread. Her parents were put on earth to remind us to care for one another—“to bring hope when there is none, food where there is starvation, knowledge where there is ignorance, compassion for those in pain, healing to our planet, and love for all.” As summer slips into fall, I encourage you to find something to love about the changing seasons. Whether it involves putting on a long-sleeved shirt, a hot coffee to warm your hands, a satisfyingly crunchy red leaf, or a long conversation with a parent, remember that Autumn is a wonderful time to love.
Author Sherri Defesche will be celebrating the release of her book this Saturday, October 3, at Casa de Luz in the Serena Room from 2-4pm (1701 Toomey Road, Austin, TX, 78704). Here is a list of her other upcoming events as well:
•   October 14, 2009/Book signing at St. Edward’s University Bookstore from 5-6pm
•   October 15, 2009/ Interview on World Puja Network Radio (Host: Brenda Braden, Program: Authors Corner)
•   November 14, 2009/Book signing at Barnes & Noble at the Arboretum (Austin, TX)
You can also hear a radio interview with Sherri on the Co-Creator Network recorded on Aug. 25 here.
