Taking Care of a Stranger

In Taking Care of a Stranger, Sheila Garner details her personal journey of learning to live without a close relationship with her mother. As a child, she longed for the love and affection of her mother but never felt truly loved by her. In yearning for her mother’s attention, she struggled with trying to understand why her mother’s love eluded her. While her mother did her best as a single parent raising eight children, Sheila wrestled with the pain and loneliness of feeling displaced from her siblings and growing up with a void in her life for her mother’s nurturing and approval. She spent many years of her life seeking to fill the void through experiences and relationships that failed to give her the sense of "normalcy" she so painfully desired. On her journey, she strived to reconcile her past after her mother's death.

For everyone who has lost a loved one without receiving answers to critical questions, or who has failed to resolve painful issues; has a lot of hurt and wants to heal the anger buried within, this book offers lessons in letting go and finding forgiveness and inner peace.

This is not a step-by-step, linear self help book. It is an honest and emotional account of someone in search of a mother’s love. Sheila opens up and is transparent about each step of her journey.

While writing her story, Sheila gained new personal insights and revelations along the way. Learning how to forgive; how to let go and move on from the past and how to demonstrate unconditional love have brought her to a place of freedom. In summary she says, "Through the lens of my mother, I have found myself."

-- Sheila Garner