Beauty Out of Ashes

"Lela clutched the program handed to her at the entrance of the college auditorium. The band played "God Bless America" as she sat in silence, flanked by her cousin Montie and her brother Frank. She wondered in retrospect as she saw memories of time past reeling off the secret places of her mind. The images traced before her eyes were as vivid as those projected on a theater screen. Lela was a small child, about four years old, sitting on the edge of a porch in Oceanside, California, swinging her legs and singing just above a whisper "Jesus Loves Me." Her father worked for the city in spite of poor health. The Holt family of ten gathered around the massive oak table and gave thanks for the simple meals their mother prepared at the end of each day."

Excerpt From: Lela Holt. "Beauty Out Of Ashes." iBooks.