FERNDALE, Ark. – It’s the most wonderful time of year, but for some, it can be the most difficult.
An Arkansas mom who has walked her own journey with grief has turned her sorrow into a book to help others heal.
“I didn’t have answers for my children. I didn’t know how to explain to them why bad things happen in the world,” said Kerry Tittle.
There is no easy explanation, especially when you have lost so much.
“There was a lot of hard times, a lot of dark times,” said Tittle.
On April 27th, 2014, Kerry Tittle’s husband Rob and two of their daughters, Rebekah and Tori, were killed when a tornado destroyed their Ferndale home. Kerry Tittle, along with her seven other children, including her then 8-month-old son, survived.
“It was just a struggle every day to try and keep my eyes focused forward on the faith,” said Tittle.
For the last several years, Tittle’s focus has been on her family and finding purpose in the pain.
“I stumbled every day. I made mistakes. I never want anybody to think we walked this perfectly because it was anything but pretty,” said Tittle.
Not just for her, but for her kids.
“I needed to communicate hope to them,” said Tittle.
She did that in the form of a children’s book. “The Nugget and the Refiner”, written by Kerry Tittle, helps kids understand why bad things happen to good people.
“It’s about a little piece of ore who has a really bad disposition. It shows the process he has to go through to become something beautiful, a masterpiece,” said Tittle.
It’s a process Tittle and her family understand well.
“They’ve seen good things come out of this. It’s hard, but they’ve seen it change the lives of people that they didn’t even know,” said Tittle.
The recent devastation in northeast Arkansas and Kentucky, she admits, is a painful reminder.
“It can be very raw when we have storms, absolutely,” said Tittle.
However, she said it’s also an important one, reminding us that even in the darkest of places there is light ahead.
“You don’t have to stay there and you’re not going to stay there. It’s just a refining process,” said Tittle.
To purchase a copy of “The Nugget and the Refiner”, click here.
