Rays of Grace : A Story of Strength and Spirit

by Ferreira, Melinda

• ISBN13: 9780615300160
• ISBN10: 0615300162
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-03-01
• Publisher: Atlasbooks Dist Serv

Summary

Rays of Grace is a testament to strength and the human spirit. A tribute to the author's mother, Marian Ciampa, who lost her battle with breast cancer at the age of forty-four, this story chronicles the life of a woman whose struggles with addiction and terminal illness are countered with undying perseverance, transcendent spirituality, and an unbreakable bond of love with her family. In Rays of Grace, the author describes her mother's spiritual journey through hardship and death itself. Fighting disease and alcoholism, she is forced to confront her own mortality. With enhanced perspective and spiritual evolvement, she embraces the time that remains, consequently imprinting invaluable life lessons and experiences on her daughter and family. This book serves as a tribute to all who have experienced grief, loss, or personal affliction, and provides solace and hope to those in need of healing.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. xi
Angels	p. 1
The Laugh	p. 5
The Fam	p. 7
Lesson #1	p. 12
The Age of Innocence	p. 14
Blissful Ignorance	p. 18
Naïvéte Lost	p. 22
Cloudy Skies	p. 27
An Unexpected Sobriety	p. 38
The Power of Perception	p. 41
Attitude	p. 44
Faith Lost	p. 49
A Rapid Decline	p. 53
Faith Reborn	p. 55
Transition	p. 60
"Mummy's Really Sick This Time"	p. 63
Christmas Morning, 1992	p. 68
The Greatest Conversations of My Life	p. 74
Goodbye	p. 84
Snow	p. 89
Whirlwind	p. 96
Requiem	p. 101
Praying Hands	p. 108
The Gift	p. 112
Fate	p. 114
Survival	p. 117
Snapshots	p. 121
Rays of Grace	p. 126
Acknowledgments	p. 131
About the Author	p. 134
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