Writing a children’s book was never part of my plan. So, what changed?
About two years ago, my first cousin Amy Blieden had the idea of bringing together all of Gussie Abramowitz’s great-grandchildren—kids ranging in age from newborn to 15, spread up and down the East Coast. We decided to hold a Third Cousins Zoom reunion. As the “family organizer,” I was put in charge of making it happen.
The teacher in me knew it needed structure, a time limit, and something special to make it memorable. I created a printed invitation, designed a WordArt family tree, and made a PowerPoint showing where everyone fit in Gussie’s family. There was even a map with colored dots showing where each cousin lived, grouped by state. And because I wanted them to know who Gussie was, I prepared a short PowerPoint presentation about her journey to America.
On the day of the Zoom, nothing went exactly as planned. People came late, some kids talked more than others, and conversations happily wandered. I let them enjoy it, stepping in only to keep things moving. In the end, we had just one Third Cousins Zoom, but it was truly special—seeing those kids connect and watching the grownups’ faces light up.
Afterwards, I still had my “Gussie story” ready and waiting. I debated turning it into a book or a video, but I kept putting it off. Then, through the Writers’ Group in the Jewish Genealogy Society of Connecticut, I met Deborah S. Holman, who had published Nothing Bad Will Happen about her family’s escape from Vienna in 1938—and then created a children’s version at her grandchild’s request.
Seeing what she did made me think: I have to do that for Gussie’s story.
At first, I imagined a simple digital book for the family. But once I learned more from Deborah about publishing on Amazon, I decided to take the leap. That’s how Gussie’s Suitcase Packed with Courage, Hope, and Secrets came to life.
The cousins’ Zoom may have been short-lived, but it planted the seed. And now, Gussie’s story can be shared not just with our family, but with children everywhere.
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