Longmont author Tammy Parker kept detailed memories of her father Sam alive in her mind for many years, hoping to someday be able to share the story of his end-of-life journey with dementia.
“My father passed away in 2012 and I always knew I wanted to write about the situation 一 his bravery, how he dealt with the things that were going on around him and how it impacted us,” Parker said.
Parker’s dream was finally realized when “Sparkling Sam,” a three-page ode to her father’s joyful spirit, was chosen for inclusion in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Navigating Eldercare & Dementia - 101 Stories for Family Caregivers. The new book, one of more than 300 titles in the motivational Chicken Soup series, was published June 22.
“I’m really glad that they liked it. Probably of all the things I’ve written in my life, as a journalist and an analyst, this is probably the one that means by far the most,” Parker said.
The selection process was competitive.
“We got thousands (of submissions), because people are very passionate about this subject. They really do want to share this knowledge,” said Amy Newmark, editor-in-chief and publisher of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.
There were several aspects of “Sparkling Sam” that Newmark said she really liked.
“I loved the fact that her story was an example of moving her father into a facility and how happy he was there. I want to dispel the myth that moving your loved one into an independent living, or an assisted living, or a memory unit is somehow bad 一 it’s not, it’s actually a wonderful thing. It really turns out beautifully for most people who try it,” Newmark said.
“The second thing I liked about her story is that she talked about how her father became even more himself, and that’s something that I’ve observed in my father, but I don’t see people writing about that a lot in stories. … It’s almost like the dementia strips away any artifice and reveals the true character, and the true personality, of the person inside.”
“I didn’t want to write something that was depressing, which I easily could have done because dementia is not a happy subject. But he was such an upbeat, optimistic person,” she said. “There were some good moments in our interactions together. I knew I always wanted to write about that.”
Parker’s journey with Chicken Soup for the Soul started in 2015, when she sought solace through reading in the face of becoming unexpectedly widowed.
“I was just looking to read anything that would help me and give me hope for the future. I found all these wonderful Chicken Soup for the Soul books about dealing with grief or angels and paranormal things, divine inspiration and things like that. It really helped me deal with my situation at the time,” Parker said.
“That helped me understand. I read so many of her books that I understood what they’re looking for and the stories that they write,” she said.
“Sparkling Sam” marks Parker’s second entry in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. “A Divine Bug,” in which Parker describes how a guardian angel saved her from near-certain disaster on an icy stretch of I-70, was published in 2019 in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Angels All Around – 101 Inspirational Stories of Miracles, Divine Intervention, and Answered Prayers.
Two other Colorado authors, from Boulder and Arvada, are also included in the new Navigating Eldercare & Dementia book.
Chicken Soup for the Soul: Navigating Eldercare & Dementia is the third dementia-related title in the Chicken Soup series, following Chicken Soup for the Soul: Family Caregivers – 101 Stories of Love, Sacrifice and Bonding (2012) and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Living with Alzheimer's & Other Dementias: 101 Stories of Caregiving, Coping, and Compassion (2017).
