Black, White and Gray

                                              

By

Sandra Wilkins

          Are you a person that likes things all tidy—in black and white?  Do those gray areas challenge you or invigorate you?  Those shadowy regions can certainly be tricky.  I mean, most of us would say it’s wrong to steal, yet what if you borrowed your brother’s book and forgot to return it?  Are you a thief?  There’s that uncomfortable spot.  Or, what happens when the dog (adored by your children) chews up the seat on your lawn mower?  It’s totally irritating and a person (namely me) could rightly say to give the dog to someone else.  It’s frustrating, but what else can a parent do except grit her teeth, repair the seat and accept that ashen cloud surrounding the situation. 

          But, I would say that not all gray areas are bad.  In my first historical romance, “Ada’s Heart”, I had the lead character swear off men altogether.  That’s definitely a black and white mentality.  Unfortunately for Ada, that determination is muddied by the appearance of a handsome, hard-working farmer.  It makes a much more interesting story than if she’d sat on her convictions the entire time. 

          By the time I wrote my third book, “Gwen’s Honor”, I was able to use that kind of ambiguity to my advantage again.  Gwen had finally set a wedding date with her long-term fiancé when a childhood sweetheart came back into her life.  While she stubbornly tried to stay on the predetermined path she had mapped out for herself all those uncertainties began to pop up.

          I’m beginning to realize that those hard and fast rules in life sometimes get bent on purpose and sometimes by accident.  I think it’s important (difficult as it may be) to not stress and get upset as circumstances shift in your life.  Maybe we should enjoy the change in scenery.  Maybe we could see how interesting a new situation could be.  Maybe it could even be a healthier way to look at life instead of being stuck behind those black bars of rigidity.

          Sandra Wilkins is busy writing another series while home educating her two daughters.  Ada’s Heart, Rose’s Hope and Gwen’s Honor are her first three published wholesome historical romances.  Go to www.sandrawilkins.com to find out more about her and her books.