“When I was a girl, my grandmother had a china cabinet. I remember looking into it as she described the items. Each possession locked behind the glass represented a very important memory to my grandmother. Along with her china, there were art projects and gifts from my mother and aunts. There weren’t many items inside, but what she had was precious.

As she got older, her memory wasn’t as strong. When I’d visit her, she couldn’t always remember where she’d gotten her treasures. But I’d watch her eyes light up as she’d look through the glass.

When she passed away, her memories were split among her children and grand children. They are just possessions, but to us they are her very heart.

I’ve heard it said that women define themselves by the roles and relationships they hold while men define themselves by the achievements they’ve made.

For instance, when a man goes into a job interview and he’s asked to “Tell us a little about you”; he will tell them of his past jobs and accomplishments.

However, a woman will make the mistake of telling them about her marriage, children, and hobbies. Though this makes her likeable enough, it doesn’t necessarily go over well with male interviewers.

But in reality, we are defined by the roles we hold. As a woman I am a daughter, sister, lover, mother, and member of society. I make every choice in my life based on these relationships.

It is the existence of these connections which make life worth living. When I die, I hope my family will remember me for the impact I’ve made on their lives, not for the money I’ve brought into our home. Like my grandmother, I want to live a life of quality, not of quantity.

I am a daughter and sister to some by blood and others by choice; without which I would not have survived puberty, yet alone a lifetime of trials.

I am the mother of three wonderful young men; Corey, Justin, and Joshua. I am in a committed relationship with the love of my life; Bob. Through him, I have three more (adult) children. To their spouses, I am a mother-in-law. I have one beautiful child that calls me Me-Maw.

My name is Michelle. To my friends, I am Shelley.

I am human. I make mistakes. I cry. I laugh. Through it all, I am convinced that within every experience there is a lesson I’m supposed to learn.

Within these pages are some of my lessons. These are the memories that fill my china cabinet.”
———————————————————————————-
What you just read is the Preface (Who Are You) to my book “THE CHINA CABINET”. It was written originally to share with my children. It was published last November.

Now that Corey has been murdered, all proceeds from “The China Cabinet” go directly into the Corey Daniel Laykovich Reward Fund.

The holidays are coming. Maybe someone you know might like to read the book and know they were supporting our efforts to find my son’s killer.