First off, happy Father’s Day to my dad. I wrote about our relationship in the June 2006 issue of Guideposts.
He’s always pitching me new ideas for stories, whether for Guideposts or Mysterious Ways. I always listen to what he has to say, because Dad really gets it. He’s not someone who often makes outward declarations of his faith, but, as he’s shared with me from time to time, he’s experienced things that have strengthened his beliefs.
When selecting stories for the magazine, or for this blog, I often consider what my dad would think. Would this story move him? Would it give him chills? Would he think it was just plain silly? I consider my dad to be a sort of renaissance man—a lawyer, a sportsman, a lover of music and the arts and a voracious reader who soaks up all sorts of things, both within his realm of experience and beyond. If a story can impress him, it can make an impact on anyone.
I know my Dad would enjoy this New York magazine article about Mariano Rivera. For one, my Dad’s a huge Yankees fan. And my Dad has long believed Mariano would have a great story to share with Guideposts readers. I think this article makes it clear that he’s right. The thing is, would our Boston readers unsubscribe?
This week, reading the harrowing story about a Nigerian cook who survived in a submerged boat for two days, I thought about how it was something my dad would send to me, if he could figure out how to send stories via email. “I don’t know what stopped the water from filling that room,” the man told reporters. “I was calling on God. He did it. It was a miracle.”
The story about a woman who was reunited with her beloved cat after 13 years also seemed like something Dad would have pointed out to me—or to my cat-loving sister. It’s amazing to think the cat could have survived on his own in the wild for so long—and that at the moment when he was near death, he was brought home to the one who loved him most.
Stories that would make my Dad laugh: a rose thief who committed his crime at exactly the wrong time and the British dog who learned to do a bit of office work at a quarry company in the appropriately named region of Furness.
And as someone who bought the Bee Gees record when it first came out, Dad would be amazed that “Stayin’ Alive” actually helped one woman rescue a man from a heart attack aboard a bus. She’d just recently seen a public service announcement on television demonstrating that the song provided the right rhythm for CPR.
What do you say, Dad? Any of these stories perfect for Mysterious Ways? And what do you say, readers? What stories do you want to learn more about?
Write in the comments below or email your story suggestions to us.
