Redemption Stories: Unwasted Pain

I wrote a book on the subject of Redemption. It's called Redemption Stories, Unwasted Pain. It will be out by Authorhouse in two weeks, by the end of December. The book is the culmination of 14 years of research and writing, and I'm pleased and relieved with the results. But I conceive of the book as only the beginning of what I intended and hoped that it would do: inspire people that seemingly impossible changes were possible. Show that others had made these very difficult u-turns in life. Create potential maps over very difficult terrain. Now I want to dedicate this blog to continuing that inspiration by having a place to post more redemption stories.

You know you have a redemption story when somewhere in it the person says to you, "I don't ever want to go through something like that again, and don't get me wrong. I'm not wishing it on someone else. But, I'm glad it happened because...." and then they tell you the benefits they got from the painful experience that they had.

Redemption stories are like that. You wouldn't wish them on someone else, you wouldn't want to go through them again, but you have found peace or equilibrium or some quality that has enriched your life because of the horror or difficulty that you went through. And you expect that it might be difficult for others who haven't had that experience, to understand why you are glad for it.

This blog is where I intend to publish further stories that come my way. I invite anyone to send them in. Here are the perimeters: 

1. They must be true.

2. If the story is about someone you know, you should have their permission to write about them, or significantly disguise their identity so that they can't be recognized in the story if you don't have their permission.

3. The tone and intent of the story must be respectful.

 I am inviting people to send redemption stories in to me. I'm new to this blogging business. There may be a better way to do this. But as of now, send stories to me via email: mciofalo@earthlink.net.