The first story Aleda Reilly wrote wasn’t designed to launch a writing career, sell a lot of copies or even get published.
All she wanted to do was comfort her grandchildren.
“(It was) just to help them through a really emotional, tough time,” said Reilly, who lives in Land O’ Lakes.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
Following the death of her mother, Gladys Soldato, Reilly’s grandchildren were confused and upset at the loss of their beloved Bama. They were close to their great-grandmother, and adult explanations weren’t doing the job for Isabella and Katie, ages 4 and 2. As their grandmother, Reilly wanted to console them and describe complicated feelings in a way they’d understand.
So she sat down and wrote them a story.
“Angel Balloons” describes the two girls spending time with Bama until she passes away right after Christmas. They’re told she didn’t get to say goodbye because she was tired, and now lives with the angels in Heaven. The girls send Bama drawings and stickers tied to balloons so she can receive them and share them with the angels.
When Reilly showed the story to the girls, it wasn’t illustrated or published. It was just a story written by their Avia, a term for grandmother. But they got the message.
“I read it to (Olivia) and in an exasperated attitude she said, ‘Well you know, Avia, if anyone had told me this, I wouldn’t have been so upset at the time,'” Reilly recalled.
She decided that other children might benefit from “Angel Balloons,” and she self-published it. Tate Publishing, a family-owned Christian-based publisher later picked it up, turning it into a fully illustrated publication, a 3-D book with glasses, coloring book and audio download.
Reilly appreciates any format that conveys the story to more children.
Parents can be reserved when it comes to serious subjects with children, she said, and aren’t always sure how to address new feelings. She wrote this story to tackle a serious topic in a positive way that young readers can understand. She’s pleased it can now reach more children than her initial audience of her two grandchildren.
Although this is the first story she’s written, Reilly’s background gives her a good foundation for penning children’s stories.
Reilly spent time as a psychiatric social worker. She approached the work with the belief that children are resilient and smart, and can grasp serious topics if presented properly.
“We don’t give children enough credit for how much they really do retain, even at a young age,” Reilly said. “I don’t ever talk down to children.”
“Angel Balloons” was written five years ago when Reilly was 60.
That first story was not her last. It has turned into a continuing series featuring Sunshine and Ladybug, Reilly’s nicknames for her grandchildren. She has new stories written and waiting for publication. “Sunshine and Ladybug Share Christmas” is a holiday-themed story about helping those who are less fortunate, while “We Don’t Eat Grass” addresses healthy eating. She’s working on a fourth book about blended and extended families, and as the girls have gotten older she’s introducing a new grandchild, Nola, into the stories.
Reilly’s stories contain a mixture of actual events and fiction to get her message across to children. But she admits that while “Angel Balloons” was written to help the young girls process a death, it also had benefits for the author.
“The genesis of this was all just to try to get them through it, but then I realized it was very cathartic for me as well,” she said.
Reilly also admits she is surprised by the attention and interest she has received from her publisher.
It may have started as a hobby, but Reilly takes the writing process seriously. When it’s time to write, she heads upstairs to the computer. When she’s finished or hits a snag, she simply puts it away and does something else.
She wrote “Angel Balloons” in about a week and is now preparing some promotional activities for her books.
Despite those activities, Reilly has never lost sight in what started her down their new career path or what drives her to continue writing.
“It was for the girls,” she said. “My family is absolutely the most important thing in the world to me.”
For more information about “Angel Balloons” and Reilly’s other books, visit TatePublishing.com.
Published January 14, 2015
