MY WRITING DEN by Roberta C.M. DeCaprio

I've lived in my home for 37 years. The back bedroom within that time has served many different situations.

It first became a toy room for my two children when they were small, shelves stocked with all sorts of games, dolls, and stuffed animals. I enjoyed hearing laughter and cheer coming from that room as my children entertained themselves and friends who came for play dates.

For a brief time it served as a sewing room, and I remember well the fond memories of my grandmother and I cutting out patterns. Under her guidance I learned how rewarding a homemade garment could come to mean. We created many wonderful projects together.

When our Rottweiler joined the family, this room became her den. She'd sprawl out on an old couch placed there for her bed, and guard the rest of us as we slept in the surrounding bedrooms. During this time period I'd become a single parent, and having such a formidable canine close by made me feel safe and secure at night.

When I took in a foster child, the room became her bedroom, a private sanctuary she'd never had before. It made her feel safe, wanted, and truly an important part of the family.

For a time it was a dear friend's bedroom when she came to stay with me for three months . . . until she could again get on her feet after a divorce, as well as a spare bedroom for grandchildren who spent the weekend now and then.

And now this back bedroom is my writing den. In it I have a desk inherited from a loving uncle's estate. I remember the times I spent at his house, playing with my cousins, as he sat at his desk making out his bills, writing in his ledgers, or reading the newspaper. The electric hurricane/type lamp sitting beside my computer once sat on my grandmother's vanity. She'd turn it on while she combed her hair, or applied her cherry-colored lipstick. In one corner of the room sits a book hutch given to me by a cousin who recently passed away from complications due to ALS. The old file cabinet in another corner houses upon its surface my father's old Remington typewriter . . . the very one he used while composing poems, song lyrics, and short stories. An artificial fireplace stands against the back wall. When turned on it warms the room to a cozy glow on those winter nights I sit tapping away at the keyboard, creating another novel to share with readers.

Upon the walls I have pictures of loved ones and cherished pets who are no longer with me, as well as artwork painted in oils by my talented artist husband. As a doll collector, I have a few wall shelves displaying my classic Barbie collection, as well as a few vintage music boxes, and porcelain figurines.

My writing den is a room with a lot of history. Within its walls many eras have come and gone. Many lives have claimed this small, back bedroom for a sanctuary. I know it certainly is mine.

READ ROBERTA'S BOOKS;
A RIVER OF ORANGE, THE GOLDEN LADY, ONE PERFECT FLOWER, A ROSE IN AMBER, BORN OF PROUD BLOOD, & RETURN TO WILLOW CREEK (www.thewildrosepress.com)
TO READ EXCERPTS & ORDER BOOKS - www.robertacmdecaprio.com and Roberta's blog at: www.thewordmerchantssociety.blogspot.com