Valerie - Welcome to the Bookworthy Podcast, where we talk about Kidlet, which is good for your kids, hearts, and souls. Kidlet ranges from birth to teens, so we have a lot of shelf space to cover. Today, we're talking with Dr. Ann Worth about her three-book series, Tessie's Tears. Dr. Worth has been a counselor for 40 years and recently started writing for children. The first book in the Tessie series provides a satisfying answer to young children's most difficult questions about hard things that happen in their lives. Welcome to Bookworthy Ann.
Anne -Thank you so much.
Valerie- I'm so happy to have you here. To start us off, what is the most unique place you have traveled to?
Anne - It would have to be Russia because I met a young man who was aging out of the orphanage, and I became his mama. And so I've been back to Russia many times. In fact, I'm going to meet my son in Mexico next month, and I haven't been able to see him for five years because of the war.
Valerie—Oh my goodness, gracious. That's a beautiful story that I, if we don't get to talk about this time, maybe we'll have to talk about another time for sure. Well, it's too exciting. Can you tell us a little about this three-book series you've been working on?
Anne -Yes, during the pandemic, I could not imagine how children were processing what was happening, the number of deaths. My adult mind couldn't comprehend it. And as much as parents were trying to protect their children, they could not help but overhear conversations about people dying. My first book is about a Grampy who goes to the hospital and does not return home but goes to be with Jesus. And so, Tessie, Tessie was very, very sad because she loved her grandfather very much. But when her grandmother came and sat on her bed, put her arm around her, and told her about heaven, where Grampy was, and how he was young again and happy, she could remember everything they had ever done. Then, whenever she thought about Grampy, she saw him in heaven with Jesus. So all the books. The second book is about a little girl losing her best friend. She doesn't die; she moves away because the children are not in school together. They couldn't play with their neighbors. Their best friends were separated. So this is about a little girl whose best
friend has to move away and she thinks she'll never have another best friend. But little twins move in next door, and they love Jesus. And they ask her why she's so sad. And when she said, my best friend moved away, they said, we have a friend who will never move away. His name is Jesus. So, all the books deal with difficult issues, but they teach a child that those difficulties are temporary, that God has a plan, and that he's working in the background to bring good things into our lives.
Valerie- I love that, you know, what is it, such a hard situation in our nation or in the world really gave you the heart to take your counseling background and really speak into children who are struggling with all those things. And how did your counseling background influence the books that you've written?
Anne -Well, you know, I'm hoping that it will give parents a way to help their children by reading books. Sometimes, we in knowingdon't know what to say as parents. And so it really is important for children to get to ask questions and talk about things. Even though I'm not a child psychologist, I wanted to guide parents to know how they could help their children.
Valerie -I love that because it is hard as a parent to talk about those, you know, death and, you know, friends, friends moving away. Cause it's one of those things when I was growing up, it's not something we discussed. The emotional side of it. Sure. It happened to the things that happened, but I don't know why we're so repressed from the eighties, I don't know, but it was just taught that we just. Moved on. You just mov on, and these kids are not equipped to do that these days.
Anne -Well, and the other thing is that the parents themselves were often dealing with their grief, and they were almost afraid to start talking about it because then they might start weeping, and then that would upset their child. So the book actually, many adults have read this book and said, I wish somebody had read this to me when I was little because they were not helped.
Valerie -Yeah. Well, yeah. What is it? You know, death and loss are so uncomfortable because they're not what God intended in our world. They're supposed to feel hard and difficult because they are. And working with those emotions and communicating is not where we want to spend our time.
Anne -And it is going to happen. I mean, this is not; these books are not for in case these things happen to everybody.
Valerie - Yeah, that's very true. I love that the books are such a universal topic. The weather, can we all deal with death in some form or fashion? We all deal with this. Was it friends moving away or changes in friendships? One day, our friend is our friend; the next day, they're not. So there's still that awkwardness. What is this? What does this mean? Because we're always searching for that meaning. Now the third book was about a rescue puppy.
Anne -about a rescue puppy. And you know, God loves everything he created, including all the animals. One of the things that we discussed or mentioned in our private conversation was a favorite book. And when I read Black Beauty when I was about ten, it changed my life. It triggered a heart a part of my heart for animals. To this day, I still foster dogs. This book is about a rescue puppy that gets lost and found. Like many people, they get lost and found. And Tessie's grandmother and parents see her despair. It touches them so much. They start a dog rescue due to everything that happens with this little dog.
Valerie -So sweet. You know, cause animals hold such a special place in our hearts, it is neat to see that compassion and all the things that pets can teach us. And I love that, you know, just like we're going to lose a person dear to us, there's a high probability of losing pets that are very dear to us. Yeah, they don't. And what is it? I think I have three boys, and my oldest almost always they don't want the lifespan that we do. My Oldest grew up with a dog till he was about six, and then she got sick, and we had to put her down. And to this day, every once in a while, he's like, I miss her. And I'm like, I know, but I wish I could bring her back. I was like, but you know, it's one of those, no matter how many dogs we get or how many pets we get, he's still just like, I miss her. And I'm like, I know, but.
Anne -We don't have time to discuss it today, but you probably know about the Rainbow Bridge, where the animals await us when we cross. I don't. It's not biblical, but I know God loves animals, too. So I hope they're in heaven with us.
Valerie - I did an article once on whether or not animals go to heaven and or pets go to heaven, and it got lots of interesting responses. Many people had different viewpoints, but we know that God loves his creation, all of it. Not, you know, we hold a special place in his heart because we are made in his image, but all of his creation is precious. And just with the love that animals have for us unconditional, you just see God's love in them just as much as another person.
RECOMMENDED READING: Does the Bible Say Animals Go to Heaven
Anne - Have you ever heard the saying that God is dog spelled backward? I don't irreparably mean that, but.
Valerie—Yes. And then what is it? There's, right? Like, don't strike us down, Lord, but you know, it's sweet. Uh, yeah, I heard once that dogs have a shorter lifespan because they're born knowing what love is, and we have to take time to learn what love is. And so I love that because yeah, they love you no matter what.
Anne - Yeah. One thing I wanted to mention about my books is that they are written for children like four to eight, right in there. But they are so beautifully illustrated. I'll show you this one. They're so beautifully illustrated that little children, two and three years old, can make up their own story. And that's one of the things that I feel so honored about, which is that the illustrators, a young couple in the Philippines, use such vibrant colors and beautiful illustrations. And I think that's one reason adults like them, too. They're just beautiful books.
Valerie - What is it? I think that C.S. Lewis said that if a children's book is only enjoyed by children, it's not a very good book. And so it's neat to see that even children's old and new books can still impact adult hearts and a child's heart. So very neat. Now, with these books, you're focusing on those hard things and learning how to understand, cope with, and gain a biblical view of loss. What other messages are you hoping to communicate with your books?
Anne -Well, in the second book, as I told you, I did not become a Christian until I was 55 years old. So, in the second book, the two little girls move in next door and love Jesus so much. Tessie has the experience of asking Jesus to come into her heart. So these are also salvation books. They are about the love of family. They tell pretty much the whole spiritual story. And so I'm very proud of that because many people could pick these books up, many children who don't know Jesus in the way that they will meet him in these books.
Valerie -So fun. I mean, that's the desire for most Christian authors is that it's not just a story about one thing or another but always points back to that salvation story and just that truth that we can have hope in our loss and the hardships that come to us. Because we will experience hardships in this world, one of the promises Jesus gave us is that we will have trouble.
Anne - All these books have a happy ending. And I think they indicate that in general, most of the time, I mean, I'm 81, so I mean, there are end-of-life issues. But even so, it will be even better after the end of life. But I guess what I'm saying in these books is that almost everything is temporary. And an even bigger blessing is waiting for you right around the corner. So, I think hope and faith are also themes in the books.
Valerie—Right. And the importance of not being, of working with our emotions, not just getting stuck in our emotions. I know that's what I say to my boys: Hey, it's okay to be mad, sad, and frustrated, but it's not okay to stay here. We need to work through this.
Anne -We need to learn to express it appropriately. Use your inside voice, as I used to say to my grandchildren.
Valerie -Right, yes. Boys have very special ways of expressing themselves. Yes. Are you treating your brother as more important than the toy you're upset about? And they're just like, I don't like that. Oh well. When did your writing journey begin, Anne?
Anne - You know, I've always journaled. As a professional, I have been speaking for many years on many topics, such as addiction and so forth. People started asking me to contribute a chapter or my opinions or stories to newspapers. And I got it that I could write. You know, I never started to be an author. Never even occurred to me that I could be. And then I met a woman who told me, well, I had told her that I had been working on my memoir, and she said, I publish books with a spiritual theme. And so one day during the pandemic, she called me up and said, how's your writing coming? And I said, well, I think I could finish it. And she said I'd like to publish your book. So it was like an invitation, and I just did it. And then she started publishing my children's books.
Valerie -How fun to see how God slowly moved you in a direction.
Anne -We had a silent retreat but could talk enough to make those connections. Yeah.
Valerie- I thought a woman's silent retreat was very different from a man's. It's too amazing. Now you said, tell us a little about how you got into counseling.
Anne -Oh, goodness. I had a difficult childhood and early life, early up to 55. And so I, I believe that a lot of people become psychologists or therapists trying to figure out what, what is wrong with me and what, what can I do about it? And what, what's going on? So really, I think I've always had a heart; as I said, when I read Black Beauty at age 10, it
changed my life. And it gave me a heart for people who do not have a voice. Animals, children, and disenfranchised people: I have a heart to give people a voice and speak for people and to people who need help. And so it was just that heart finding a way to help people. I didn't get the help I needed. So, you know, I wanted to. I just realized how important it was to have someone come alongside you.
Valerie -Yeah, it's one of those times when that's not provided for you. It almost becomes this need and desire to provide that for someone else. I have friends who are in foster care, and it is just gut-wrenching to watch what's happening in our world with children, to see her heart, and to know her story and just how her lack of family has driven her to provide a family for everyone else.
Anne -Right, and that is one of the beautiful miracles of it all. It is because of what I didn't get. I was determined, with a deep conviction and longing to provide for others what I didn't get. I didn't know that there's a place in all of us that only God can fill, And I didn't know that for 55 years. And when I had that experience, nothing has ever been the same.
Valerie - That's amazing. I'd love to hear a little bit of that story. To come to Christ at an older age, what was that process like, that big change?
Anne -Well, it's in my memoir, which is called Call Me Worthy, and my name is Worth, but I could not give myself worth. I could not get worth through accomplishments, through
anything. It wasn't until I met Jesus that I ever felt complete, loved, known, forgiven, adopted, and wanted. He is the only one who can make us feel that way. And you know, when I read the prodigal, the story, the prodigal, how his father ran to meet him. You know, I just feel like Jesus is waiting for every person who doesn't know him. He longs for that relationship. He longs for us to come home. And so that I came home.
Valerie -Praise the Lord that you came home. Yeah, the lot.
Anne -Yes, I was lost and then found, and in between was Jesus. That's what it says in the Bible. I was one way and then another, and in between was Jesus.
Valerie -Yeah, I love that line from The Chosen also. Because it is just, yeah, he is that pivot factor that changes everything. Whether it's actual demons that the character Mary was facing or internal demons from our past and our insecurities. And I love that worthy is part of your, both your name and your book. And then this podcast, cause that's the goal is, like, not just the goal about finding worthy books, but to remind ourselves that we are worthy of. Good books, too. And so just kind of that theme of worthiness is even in a person that I grew up in a Christian home and went to church all my life, still worth in my value. And my identity is still a struggle that I had, because I think it's an overarching theme because of that God hole in our heart, that we are all searching for that identity and that worth. And I love that your books are pointing them to Jesus in that, in those hard conversations that, you know, when they come up for parents are like, where's the resource, where can I find a book to help my child understand this? Because we're trying to understand along with them a lot of the time too. Well, what is your favorite book, Anne?
Anne -Well, I would have to say the Bible, of course, because I want to say that there is a new translation of the Bible that I discovered not long ago. It is so beautiful and beautifully written. It's called the Passion Translation, and I've always loved the message too because not growing up with the Bible and not The King James seemed a little difficult for me to grasp, but the
Message just spoke to me in such a contemporary language. But for me, honestly, I mean, I have many favorite books. I love fiction. I love The Secret Life of Bees, The Color Purple. When you asked that question, I thought Every book that I love the most, even like Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, every book that I love has an underdog and a miraculous, you know, someone who comes into their lives. And so Black Beauty, I mean, I still have a collection of Black Beauty books. It changed my life.
Valerie -It is beautiful that a classic book is still making an impact on people's lives. And it's also one of my favorites, making us buddies. But I got to read one of the abridged versions to my kids, and they had a hard time with it because they're young and it's a lot of information, but they're like, keep reading, mom, keep reading. And so, it is a very sweet book.
Anne—Some mean people doWell, I was going to say that one of the hardest things about a book like Black Beauty is that there are mean people. There are mean people who do mean things, but even Black Beauty had a happy ending.
Valerie -Yeah, I cry every time. Well, and what can we expect next from you?
Anne -Well, I have written a book in my head. It's not on the pages yet, but it's about a little Korean orphan named Mae Lee, who will be adopted by a couple living on Tessie Street. So that's going to be the next book, and there will be a book about divorce because that's also something that we need to address, and within the divorce book probably will deal with some the issue of alcoholism at the same time as the cause for the divorce and how addicts are not bad people. You know, they're people who are hurting and trying to ease their pain, and so I mean, these are, you know, hard issues for children to understand and write about.
Valerie - And to write about them in a way that is able to be understood, honest, truthful, encouraging, yes, and helpful to children. I mean, that is a beautiful gift that you've been given to take your counseling knowledge and boil it down to what our hearts need to hear. As you said, many adults enjoy your books because, yeah, sometimes we need the simple truth in a hard situation that God is good, that even in this hard, God is not celebrating this hard time, but he's going to use this hard time towards a greater blessing. Wonderful. I look forward to hearing more about those books as you work on them. And where can people find out more about you and your books?
Anne -Absolutely. They are all on Amazon and they're in hard copy and ebooks and my memoir is available in Audible. But also you can go to my website, www.dranneworthauthor.com. Or my Facebook page was just Ann Worth and you'll know you have the right one if I've got my big red glasses on. And so, I'm happy for people to email me if they live in Dallas. I'm happy to. And you know, I wanted to say that I would love to donate my books to schools or churches. People can contact me and love to come and read to the children, or I can get the books in their hands.
Valerie- That sounds like a wonderful opportunity. I do hope people reach out to you and give you those opportunities to share these hard but precious topics with children nearby. Thank you so much for being with us today.
Anne -Oh, thank you for the invitation.
Valerie- it's my pleasure. Thank you for joining Anne and me on this episode of the Bookworthy Podcast. Check out the show notes for any books or links that we discussed. In the comments, let us know what's the most unique place you've ever traveled. Be sure to like and subscribe so we can discover more great books together.
Happy reading!
Comentarios