The book of 'Inspirational Thoughts and Stories of Bloggers from All Over the World,' ISSN 2094-2486, is an anthology of stories by '27 noted writers'  from all over the globe.

It includes the work of writers from Germany, the United States, the Philippines the United Kingdom and, as one of my stories appears on its pages, Ireland.

The book, a limited edition, was released in October 2009 and below you can read a few  passages from my story.

 

                  

                    ..................................................................................................

 

                                                    The Laughter of Grief

There's an old saying that goes something like this, 'If you want to make God laugh, tell him what you'll be doing tomorrow.' It's an adage that I've come to believe in greatly over the years and it's one which has helped me see the lighter-side-of-life when carefully made plans have gone haywire.

But on that cold, frosty January morning I wasn't particularly at ease with God's sense of humour. It was supposed to be the day that I was taking my daughter back to school following the Christmas break; the day that I had planned to clear my office of all the junk I seem to accumulate during the course of a year's writing; and most significantly, it was the day that I had set aside to oil reels and polish rods in preparation for spring and the start of a new fishing season. Instead I was sitting on the backseat of a taxi, on my way to see my dying father.

There's a magic in fishing that only those with a fervor for it can fully understand. It takes you to a place of mist filled mornings and long summer days where time stands still; a place where ...

                                                   ...........................

 

There's something terribly unnerving about watching a parent decline into ill health and eventually death. And the feelings of loss that are part of it emanate from the pits of your stomach to fill every cell and thought of your being...

 

                                                  .............................

 

It's something you prepare for and think you're ready to deal with, but when it happens you can never be prepared enough...

 

© John Rooney 2009