A Perfect 10: How One Mother's Legacy Inspired a Family Memoir and a Writing Journey

In the fall of 2017, I decided I would apply my skills, life experience, and education to an authorship career. The best way to do this, I figured, was to self-publish a book titled A Perfect 10.  

This book shares the impact and influence my mother had on each of her ten children (my siblings and me). I didn’t intend to sell it to the public, and I was pleasantly surprised when several friends insisted on buying a copy, and delighted when they called it a good book!

To gather the stories, I emailed each of my siblings and asked them to send me a story or stories of Mom they thought of that would show the influence and impact our Mother had on them. It took a bit of cajoling to get a story or stories from some siblings. Others wrote many stories. (To help others gather their family stories, I created a free booklet. Join my email list, and I’ll send it to you.)

The author-in-residence at my local library was an excellent resource for me. She helped me turn the gathered stories into a book and provided guidance for printers that could bind it as well.  

A Perfect 10 gave me the confidence that I could write a book. It also gave me my start as a poet. Poems—or shall I say the idea for a poem—will pop into my head unannounced. That happened frequently when I wrote my second book called Plainfolk.

Here is a brief excerpt from the book and the poem I included in my book. I wrote it in a style that made it seem as if my mom were sitting in front of me.  

Growing up, I remember you—Mom—saying that your greatest fear was that your kids would grow up without a mother. Well, we didn’t. You are still here. …

These were the thoughts that prompted me earlier this year to write a poem for you to give to you on your 80th birthday. You asked me, “So where did it come from?” and I said, “From my brain”. 

After all, one cannot write a poem without using your brain, and it was you that instilled in me to ‘use the brains God gave you’. In reality, the poem came from my heart. I was thinking how lucky I was to have a mom throughout my life.

A Perfect 10

On this day in 1937,

Though your Mom is now in heaven,

Mathilda held you close to her

To share the words, she would murmur.

“My Mother’s love I willingly give to you

To hold ever so close when you are blue.

May 22 is very special, you see

Because, Marian, God gave you to me!”

In less than two decades,

It was God who said,

“A perfect 10 I’ll give to thee,

First Victoria, then Valerie.

Kevin, Leon, and Daryl come next

Then Janine, to make it six.

Next comes Sherry, Trevor, and Travis,

To make it 10, is Curt the youngest.

These perfect 10 you will see

Bless the earth and give back to me.”

- Victoria M. Jurgens, A Perfect 10 (2017)