Miracle Within Small Things: A Mother and Daughter s Journey Through Loss and Aging

From a mother and daughter comes a book in prose and poetry about change, loss, and the joy they discover in small things, including a daily ritual they call their “chair chat.”
After losing her husband of sixty-three years and six weeks later, her beloved dog, Jane McKinney finds solace in writing poetry. Feeling isolated from her six children, she relocates from Arizona to an independent senior living facility in West Michigan, just seven miles from her daughter Mary. Together the two women take comfort and delight in writing, nature, and outdoor adventures as they weather the loss of loved ones, the often grim realities of aging, and the looming threat of COVID-19. When Jane falls and injures herself during the pandemic, Mary becomes her primary caregiver. With Jane in the recliner and Mary on the floor at her feet, the two partake in a daily ritual they call their “chair chat.” A growing intimacy develops between mother and daughter as they read their writing aloud to one another, revealing their respective journeys to find peace of mind and joy of heart, even in life’s most difficult times.

“I never imagined/ I would ever write/ about the wind,” writes Jane McKinney. I bet she and her daughter Mary McKSchmidt also never imagined they’d write about empty toilet paper shelves, advocating in hospitals, Mother Goose’s eggs, slogans for going slow, and walkers. But as the title Miracle Within Small Things suggests, there is beauty, meaning, and connection to be found everywhere. What a beautiful offering, this book. I love how this mother/daughter pair weaves their love for each other through each page as together they explore loss, pain, fear, change, commitment, aging, loneliness, and love. Each poem and essayette is a testament to family, to creativity, and to the joy that comes in collaboration. Miracle Within Small Things is a gift. —Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, author of All the Honey and Hush
______________
There is remarkable tenderness in Miracle Within Small Things. A mother grapples with loss by focusing her writing on the smaller gestures of the natural world. A daughter, tending her, creates a rich multi-genre conversation with her mother’s poems. Together, they interlace surviving without their beloveds into a web of meaning that affirms what it means to be beloved to each other. It is a beautiful book about a powerful bond. —Anne-Marie Oomen, author of As Long as I Know You: The Mom Book and other Michigan Notable Award books
______________
Jane McKinney is the author of nine books, including a children’s book, a memoir on motherhood, a collection of essays, and six books of poetry. The mother of six children, she was the Director of Public Information for the East Lansing School District for eighteen years and a pioneer in the use of cable television in education, for which she won several awards. Her most recent book, Joy in My Heart, was published in 2022, the year she turned ninety-six. She is a resident of Michigan and mother of co-author Mary McKSchmidt.
Mary McKSchmidt is a published author, photographer, newspaper columnist, and former sports editor. At age fifty-three, she gave up her position as a president with Baxter International to pursue her passion: building the political will necessary to clean up and protect the Great Lakes. She appears frequently as a public speaker throughout West Michigan and posts monthly at marymckschmidt.com. Her books include Uncharted Waters: Romance, Adventure, and Advocacy on the Great Lakes and Tiny Treasures: Discoveries Made Along the Lake Michigan Coast. She is a resident of Michigan and daughter of co-author Jane McKinney.

Read more about the authors here: https://www.marymckschmidt.com
https://www.facebook.com/mary.mckschmidt;
Youtube: @mckschmidt2971