Rural Life x Women x A Woman with an Intellectual Disability
I want to do what little I can to help people see a group that is often overlooked: women with mental illnesses.
Thank you all for your support. I also hope this story reaches more people.
Please support the official release.
Blurb:
My maternal grandmother had six children in all. My aunt, who has an intellectual disability, was the fourth. My mother said that when my aunt was little, a door fell on her head. They couldn't afford to get her medical treatment, and she became intellectually disabled.
As a child, I was most afraid of going to my grandmother's house. I was scared of my aunt.
She would always sit there with a handful of sunflower seeds, grinning foolishly at you.
Whenever my mother visited my grandmother, she brought my aunt sunflower seeds in lots of flavors and bought her new clothes. My aunt would stand up and tug at her clothes, grinning foolishly as she said, "My big sister bought these for me."
Her life wasn't exactly good, but it wasn't bad either, until I grew up, my grandfather passed away, and my two uncles were about to get married.
And my aunt became a burden.
Before I started writing novels, I used to imagine that once I was financially secure, I would write realistic fiction. By then, I thought, I would have some influence and a lot of readers. Together, we would bring a little light to people at the bottom of society.
But some things happened last summer, and I ended up taking a three- or four-month hiatus.
I thought some things through and saw reality for what it was.
Becoming financially secure is too difficult for me, and building a large readership is even harder.
So
I want to use what little influence I have now to tell everyone that there are still so many people at the bottom of society, especially women, whose lives are incredibly hard.
But I'm too weak to do much on my own. All I can do is use the power of fiction to share my aunt's story and help more people see it.
I know I can't change much, and I know how difficult change is. But I've always believed that a single spark can start a prairie fire, and you and I can be that spark.
If we can't change anything, then helping people see the suffering faced by this group is still a step forward.
A single spark can start a prairie fire.
Theme: A single spark can start a prairie fire
