Searching for Phoenix Ward...

Over the last year, (as I've made quite public all over various venues on the internet) I worked on and completed a book project (well, the 1st of 3 books anyway...). Within the dedication are my children (obviously), Lucky (of course) and a Ms. Myra Tucker of Tallapoosa, GA.  (Huh?)
Back story time:
Last summer, as I sold most of my stuff and some of my mom's stuff that I dredged from the bowels of hell... AKA her BASEMENT. (It's a house of horrors. I don't want to talk about it... <Shudder!>) I needed to make some extra money FAST to pay out overdue bills and clean the slate of debts so that I can start to take on new ones and still be able to make ends meet.
I had a woman buy up stuff flabammity blam! Practically AS I was listing them. Holy COW! So, I contacted her through the messaging doojie on the Ebay and thanked her for her patronage. Didn't expect anything back really, it was just a "Thanks!". I had seen it done from time to time... She "wrote" back to tell me she found much amusement in my item descriptions and they made her laugh... From there we started an amazing "pen pal" friendship. She told me of her life, her joys, her woes and shared with me the most amazing stories from her own life. Some were wretchedly heart breaking, others showed how resilient, spiritually rich, kind and warmhearted this woman remained despite extreme hardships and sorrows. I vented and ranted about stuff in my own life and she offered great advice, solid support and kind words of encouragement. She helped restore a little bit of faith in people. (Well, not ALL people, let's face it. There are some wretched people in the world...) Enough to realize, not all people are awful. She also asked me to get up off my rear end, have a little faith in myself and finish the "writing project" which I had told her about. She (along with Lucky, my kids and my real friends) helped me to restore a lot of aspects of ME that I didn't realize were missing, making me realize that I needed to "Go", "Do", and "Believe" and rebuild what I once was when I didn't realize how "broken" I had become. Going out and doing, leaving behind in the shadows to disappear, the timid version of me or what I had become. Would there be the possibility that I would fail miserably? Of course! But nothing ventured, nothing gained and living with the regrets of NOT having gone out there to "do" is far worse than going out and "doing" and failing. A valuable lesson she "taught me". So, at least now, I'm doing. I went ahead full steam with this book thing.
Myra was quite ill during the whole of our friendship. All throughout, her friendship never wavered, never faltered and never failed me. All the while she offered up warm regards and gentle support. An angel sent to me during a very dark hour in my life. And when I found my way again, just as quickly as she came into my life and helped me back up onto my feet... She was gone...
She never asked anything of me except friendship and never expected a single thing from me. A single promise that I did make to her was that I would send along a signed copy of the book to her grand daughter Phoenix Ward. I swear on all things holy, I WILL make good on that promise.
For everything that she helped restore in me, for the friendship and faith that she showed in someone who, quite honestly, was nothing more than a complete stranger, for the kindness and warmth that she showed to me, for being so open and honest, for everything that she gave of herself to me, whether it was just a kind word or a swift verbal kick in the rear end to get me back on track, for being a "shoulder to cry on", an ear to listen, a wise mentor in life to offer me some great advice, for helping me to make me realize I do have a worth, for helping me to remember who and what I am and getting back there, for helping me to build back the resilient spirit that pushes me forward every day to be a better person, for helping to remind me that life is only going to be what I make of it, for knowing EXACTLY what to say when I needed it, for helping to restore me... Yeah, I owe this woman a lot.
For everything that she was over such a short period of time, Phoenix Ward ought to be told how much her grandmother meant to what once was a broken individual who was given a hand up and placed back on a path.