The Write Conversation: Three Writers and a Waitress

Friday, August 20, 2021

Three Writers and a Waitress

by Crystal Bowman

For most careers you can earn a degree, complete an internship, or acquire a certification. Not so for writers. We can attend writers conferences and take some online courses, but basically, we need to figure things out on our own—with the help of other writers. So when my author friend Ava Pennigton asked me to join her for lunch, I said yes.

Ava’s friend Connie Palm was a retired school teacher and missionary. She had devoted 10 years on the mission field in China and returned to the states after her husband passed away. He had always wanted her to publish her Basil Bear stories that she told to children at church and school. She needed some advice, so we planned to meet at a fancy restaurant where we could find a private spot to have our conversation.

When we met at the restaurant near Connie’s home, our three cars were the only ones in the parking lot. A sign on the door let us know it was closed on Mondays. Connie suggested a greasy-spoon diner around the corner. “It’s not quiet, but it has good food,” she said.

Connie was right—the food was good, but we needed to tune out the noisy lunch crowd in order to accomplish our meeting. Since we stayed for two hours, eventually we were the only customers left in the diner.

While we talked and ate, I noticed our waitress glancing at us several times. I thought perhaps she had overheard bits and pieces of our conversation and was intrigued. She was friendly and sweet, but her eyes were sad. As we got up to leave, she asked if she could share something with us. When we agreed she looked at Connie and said, “My mom passed away two years ago and it’s her birthday today. This morning I prayed and asked God to somehow comfort me. When you walked in the door, I had to look twice because you look so much like my mom. May I please have a hug from you?” Connie opened her arms and embraced the waitress as she sobbed on Connie’s shoulder.

I don’t believe it was coincidence that the fancy restaurant was closed. As writers, we had our agenda and wanted a quiet spot, but God led us to a noisy, greasy-spoon diner because a grieving waitress needed a hug.

In the months that followed, Connie published two Basil Bear picture books, then joined her husband in heaven. I own a signed copy of both books and will treasure them forever.

TWEETABLE

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Crystal Bowman is an award-winning, bestselling author of more than 100 books for children and four nonfiction books for women. She also writes lyrics for children’s piano music and is a monthly contributor to Clubhouse Jr. Magazine. She loves going to schools to teach kids about poetry. She also speaks at MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) groups and teaches workshops at writers’ conferences. When she is not writing or speaking, she enjoys going for walks, working out at the gym, and eating ice cream. She and her husband live in Michigan and have seven huggable grandkids.