Pieces of the Puzzle

The themes present in One Way to Grace are by no means unique to David and those involved in his life's journey. Love, betrayal, addiction, recovery...these are all a part of our personal puzzles. The fact that David and I have come together to arrange those experiences into a work of memoir does not mean his story is anymore incredible than yours, mine, or the strangers we walk by on the street everyday.

What sets this story apart is the passion David has for sharing his testimony, the drive I feel to share the beautiful triumph of his life- the knowledge that together he and I have the power to touch even one person's life. If nothing else, David's exuberant and upbeat Belief is enough to inspire hope and optimism.

In the following excerpt from One Way to Grace, a very personal moment in David's life clearly demonstrates a very common theme I'm sure every young parent can relate to:

Our son was born a few short months later in September. I named him Gary, after my dearest childhood friend. He was so small, so fragile. I felt just as fragile as I held him for the first time. The love I immediately felt for this miniature version of Cathy and I overwhelmed my heart. Romantic love is emboldening; a strengthening invincible feeling. The love one feels for a child, though, is much different. To know that this unmarred, unhurt, untouched soul is in your charge is all at once surreal, exhilarating and terrifying. I could barely care for myself, how could God expect me to take on the wellbeing of a wife and newborn son? Yet, there he was. Gary Daly, my son, swaddled in a blanket and sleeping soundly in my arms. Part of me will always see him that way, as the best of me wrapped in plush poly-cotton blend.
-Chapter Four, One Way to Grace

Yes, David has experienced things that many of us can never truly imagine. Life in Northern Ireland during the late 1960's and early 1970's was uncertain and scary a lot of the time. I, for one, have never sat next to a crate of homemade petrol bombs while the elder males in my family guarded the street on which we lived.

David has.

Yet, if you ask him about his childhood, the first things he will tell you about are the more personal struggles he faced. Insecurity, shyness, a quest for his identity. Also, the love he felt from his family. The togetherness of his community. The Troubles of Northern Ireland were little more than the historic backdrop of his life, a piece of the puzzle. They do not define him, and that is admirable.