People come in your life and leave your life for a reason. I never imagined how I would get to meet my friend Dawn Moore Quarles. It is one of those moments that you know deep in your soul that there is something bigger than we can see in this world…
I first met Dawn’s ex-husband Bob, who passed away a few years ago. I met him by chance through a group of friends. He was one of those people that you just felt like was your friend instantly. He was always very kind to me.
After he passed I later met Dawn’s sister Wendy Moore through another group of friends. It was later that Wendy asked how I knew Bob. She had seen a picture of us on his birthday. We did not spend much time talking about Bob after that, although I do vaguely recall, her saying they were related.
Last year Wendy reached out to me and told me that her sister wrote a book and asked me if I would be open to speaking to her. She knew I loved books and that I founded a book publicist company. It was then she shared with me her sisters name, and I asked if she was related to Bob; she said yes Dawn was Bob’s wife.
I did not attend Bob’s funeral and have carried a sense of guilt about not doing so. The year Bob passed away I was once again diagnosed with cancer and for a lack of a better word I was afraid to attend. I was thinking how close I had come to death many times, and how once again I was faced with the possibility of dying. It was too close to real for me.
Dawn and I began corresponding by emails and, of course, Facebook. We finally had lunch together, and she let me read her book. It is the strangest feeling reading about people you know, especially in the context of her writing.
One day Dawn asked if I would give an endorsement of her book and I was glad to do so. A few months ago she sent me the cover of her book and I was honored to notice that I was on the cover.
I truly believe that God orchestrated our meeting and there is no doubt in my mind that Bob played a role in the meeting as well.
Dawn’s book is called Aprils & Decembers. Recently Hana Frenette who is a writer for the Pensacola News Journal wrote a story about Dawn. I was very proud of Dawn for sharing a very personal part of her life. That is not always an easy thing to do.
If you live in Pensacola or the surrounding areas, she will be doing a public book reading and signing at Barnes & Noble on Airport Boulevard on Jan. 23, and for those who do not live in the area you can go on Amazon and get a copy there.
People have told me over the years that by sharing your story you open the doors to healing yourself, and along the way …without you knowing it… your story heals others too.
-Michelle Colon-Johnson
You can follow Dawn On Facebook and she has a blog called sweetwaterstiletto.com that will keep you in laughter with her quick wit and banter. #EveryoneHasAStory
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