A legacy of kindness

I learned this morning of the death of Virginia Ellis, author of The Wedding Dress and The Photograph. I hardly knew Gin, but a few years ago when I was a member of Georgia Romance Writers, she read and critiqued the first chapter of a novel I was working on. She offered the critique as part of GRW's March workshop, an annual event that provides unpublished GRW members with constructive criticism from published members, but then she wasn't able to attend the workshop. We met at a restaurant near her house instead, weeks later, and it was a privilege to sit at a quiet table and hear her thoughts about my writing.

The story she critiqued for me happened to be an early, rough version of the novel I'm working on now, one that has been on my heart for years. One of its major themes is the way little bricks of unkindness can build walls between people, while little bricks of kindness build bridges.

Now I don't remember the specifics of Gin's critique, but I will always remember that she was kind. Thank you, Gin. We'll miss you.