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Hello, dear friend,
Backstory: the story behind the story. I love learning the backstories of people and events.
Maybe that’s because I like the twists and turns in the process of something becoming a story.
In this issue, the backstory to Kyiva’s story links to Karen’s article. Both dealt with disappointments, and both overcame them.
In the early 2000s, Karen was going through the biggest shock and major upheaval in her life. As she was working through her own sadness with God, she reached out to help children who, through no fault of their own, were also experiencing sadness. Among these little kids was seven-year-old Kyiva.
Kyiva was bounced between mother types of neighbors and friends as her mother struggled with alcoholism. Hearing about the kids’ program at a nearby church, Kyiva started going. There she met this nice, tall white woman with an easy laugh and kind eyes who kept telling her about Jesus. Karen would also visit Kyiva and her brother every week to see how they were doing.
Fast forward to January 2019. Karen is living in Virginia. It has been years since she last saw Kyiva, but she receives an unexpected message from her. Does Karen have time to meet? Over two hours in a diner, they get caught up on what has happened in each other’s lives.
The next day Karen calls me and says, “This is a story for Reach UP. Want it?” Do I? Of course! Our readers LOVE first-person stories of other women who are reaching up beyond their circumstances and making a life for themselves.
Karen calls Kyiva and tells her about Reach UP. “Would you be willing tell your story so that others are inspired to ‘reach UP’ and change their lives?”
In next few pages you can read what about Kyiva’s response.
Backstory. Everyone has a story. What’s yours? Maybe it’s time to share it.
Reaching out to you,
Crystal Wacker Knapp
