When Pat Rudolph passed away at our Lady of Peace in 2018 after battling cancer, it was a devastating blow to her family. She was the rock of love that grounded them all, and now she was no longer physically present in the lives of her husband, children, and grandchildren.
To deal with her grief after her mother’s passing, Kristy Boike started putting her feelings down on paper. At the same time, she searched for books that could help her children through the grieving process, but none of those she found had a hopeful ending. Once she gave up her search, the words she was writing became rhyming paragraphs, and then suddenly a theme emerged. As a result, Kristy decided to write her own book that would soon become her mother’s story.
Rise Up Little Bluebirds follows the journey of a grandmother bird through all of the places she loved and the stories that came with them. At the end, the message is the one that resonates most with Kristy‘s family. The love that her mother always shared will last forever and provide hope for the future.
Earlier this year, Rise Up Little Bluebirds was released, and Kristy Boike officially became the author of a children’s book with a hopeful ending. Within the pages, Kristy shares the sweet tale of grief and community, told through the eyes of a bluebird family that is searching for ways to keep the memory of their dear Grandma Bluebird alive by visiting the places she loved. You see, Pat Rudolph loved bluebirds. In fact, while Kristy was writing through grief, her dad was dealing with his by building bluebird houses in his garage. The work of Ron’s hands has extended to the entire Rudolph family, as they work together to build bluebird houses for other grieving families. And the family donates money from the sales to Our Lady of Peace.
Rise Up Little Bluebirds is now in the hands of children and families across Minnesota, and Kristy Boike has signed books from Canby to the North Shore. She visited the places her mother loved, just like in the story. One bookstore owner was moved to tears, when she told him this, and he bought every book she had brought with her.
The bluebird carries the universal symbol of joy and happiness. Kristy Boike says, “The ending of Rise Up Little Bluebirds is a message that resonates with my family. The love that my mother showed us will last forever and it gives us hope. Love is the unending connection that binds us all as a community, and the grieving process can be a little less isolating when we help each other through it.”
To purchase Kristy’s book, go to riseuplittlebluebirds.com.