Category: CCFBlogs

Mother, Runner, Children’s Book Author… Oh My!

Posted on by Felts4Now

I always knew at an early age that I wanted to be a mother.  I had my deepest desire and greatest wish fulfilled almost 4 years ago.  A wish that was fulfilled again just about 2 years ago.  I am so grateful and blessed to be the mom of my two amazing little girls. 


 Being a runner, on the other hand, was something I would have bowled over cackling and ugly laughed at when I was younger if someone had told me I would be a runner one day. I tried to get into running a couple of times in my twenties, but had found it too hard or I thought I was too slow (couldn’t be considered running if I was barely moving!).  And yet, here I am, a runner.  I’ve accomplished my bucket list goal of completing a marathon.  I participate in local 10K and 8K races every year, and plan to get back to regular half marathons once my girls get a bit older. 


Writing is a passion that I joyously and luckily stumbled upon again and again on my life journey.  When I was in grade school, the first books I remember reading without having the willpower to put down was The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe series by C.S.Lewis.  Another book that I remember devouring when I was a little older was The Horsemaster by Marilyn Singer.  As I moved into late teenage years, Out of The Girls’ Room and Into The Night by Thisbe Nissen left a lasting impression on me.  I started writing short stories.  I vividly remember the feeling, the excitement, the ability to use wizardry and magic to paint pictures from my thoughts and mind into other people’s thoughts and minds simply by using words.  It was exhilarating.  I loved it.  


Life moved in a different direction, though, and I stopped writing.  At least, I stopped writing creatively.  I wrote essays, client and colleague emails, blogs on technical software, internal communications, a technical support team handbook, and all manner of various work and school related writings.  Becoming a mother was the catalyst to fall in love with creative writing yet again.  I would tell my daughter stories, helping her get to sleep, passing the time together, helping grow her vocabulary.  A friend recommended that I write the stories down, and so I did.  I lost track of time, absorbed in the challenge, excitement, and pure joy of writing creatively again.  Sharing my drafts with others was a thrill, and I was hooked.  


Running has become a part of my creative journey as well.  Gratefully, I have the ability to zone out when I run and let my mind wander, mulling over concepts and ideas, pulling threads in my mind and seeing what pops up.  Some of my most exciting ideas have simply popped into my rhythmical-breathing-unfocused brain and allow my mind to float.  


When I lay out all the stories together that I want to share with the world, the overall theme is transformation and personal growth through unexpected challenges. Each story features characters who face significant changes—whether it's losing a beloved pet, adjusting to a new family member, discovering a new friendship, overcoming loneliness, or learning responsibility. These experiences lead to a deeper understanding of themselves and others, ultimately guiding them towards empathy, self-improvement, and acceptance.  Looking back at my own life with the challenges I overcame, my inner strength from personal growth, and my hope to have a positive impact on others, I better understand why I have the undeniable desire to write and share these stories with others.  I hope you and your family will have an undeniable desire to read them over and over again.  


Cat Felts 1

The Journey and Inspiration Behind Jude’s Best Worst Day Ever

Posted on by Felts4Now


Sitting in my car, I sent my good friend a message, asking her what she thought about a book idea that would be bittersweet… Whimsical, but sad.  I didn’t understand why at the time, but I simply knew I had to write this story.  Jude’s Best Worst Day Ever started with a feeling and an image in my mind. I saw the characters laying in a field, the sun kissing their paws, and that sunny same warmth shining on Buddy’s ashes on a table and on Jude running in the yard outside the window.  The connection of the sun in each scenario and touching the characters was the driving force behind starting this project.  


A few months prior to sitting down at my computer to get the initial revision of Jude’s Best Worst Day Ever, my parents navigated the difficult decision to euthanize their elderly dog.  My best friend was facing the same impending heartbreaking decision for her beloved dog, too.  My husband handled the brunt of the journey with our own pet, Molly, about a year and a half prior.  Molly had sudden congestive heart failure.  It was clear the medications weren’t working.  Her condition declined so rapidly, it was heartbreaking to see her in such disorienting pain.  We had to say goodbye.  Our girls were too young to comprehend what was going on, but the thought nestled into my consciousness that they would eventually have to say goodbye to our other cats one day.  I wanted to write a story that could help with the journey of saying goodbye to their cherished pets. 


When I was in my twenties, I worked at an animal shelter. This shelter had a policy that animals were never euthanized due to lack of space or because they had been in the shelter for a long time. Regardless, we occasionally made the best decision for the animals to euthanize to relieve their pain. I held the paw and stared into the eyes of numerous shelter animals as they were given relief and euthanized. I wanted them to know they weren’t alone and someone loved them in their last moments. I have lost my own family pets as a child and as an adult. The loss, the pain, the grief is a shared experience felt by all who have had to say goodbye to cherished animals. 


I hope my story brings a smile to those reading or hearing it read, but also helps to start the process of healing. Grief and loss affect everyone, but it’s important to understand that children may not always express their emotions outwardly or in a way that is easy to identify as caregivers. Understanding and supporting children through their grief is crucial, though it can be challenging to navigate and find the best approaches for the child. I hope the adult guidebook at the end of Jude’s Best Worst Day Ever will provide caregivers information needed to navigate discussions surrounding loss and grief.  The activities recommended can be used to give space, time, and comfort to children and adults, remembering and honoring their pets.