A Fable of Life and Its Passing

Jim Ballard calls himself the “supposed author” of Little Wave and Old Swell. In speaking of how the book came about, he says, “I have always believed that this project has a life of its own. I've had so many evidences of that fact, it feels more truthful to say the book wrote me.” He goes on to tell of some of these instances:

“Being raised in New England and spending summers at the ocean and at lakeside camps and cabins, I was predisposed to prefer being near water. Maybe being an Aquarius has something to do with it. At any rate, I've always surrounded myself with seascape paintings and even have a little fountain playing by my desk so the sound of falling water is with me. I have also published a book titled Mind Like Water in which the various aspects of water are used to illustrate practices readers can use to condition their minds to deal best with the stresses and strains of life.

“In 1979 I was unaccountably led to the feet of the great spiritual master, Paramahansa Yogananda. (The series of miraculous events that move me to facetiously use the word 'unaccountably' are too numerous to include here.) Over the years of studying the Master's prolific teachings [see Yogananda page] I would again and again encounter his metaphor of human life as a wave on the Ocean of God. As the years went by, the image kept coming up, repeating itself to me in an insistent manner. I began to think about writing a story to illustrate it.

“During one summer I spent with my family on a beautiful lake in New Hampshire, as I watched the waves on the lake I kept thinking of the story idea. I spent a series of mornings having breakfast at a café overlooking the water, watching the ripples and making notes. I'll always remember those hours as the story began to "write itself." It was a time of heightened awareness during which I seemed to watch myself copying sentences and editing them until the right words came and were fitted into place. There was no "voice" speaking, but I felt like a scribe taking dictation. For me it really was not so much a process of creation as it was recognition. I kept working the sentences until they looked and sounded right. There was great satisfaction each time I would arrive at the 'required' wording. Since then a few minor changes have been made, but the text of the story is virtually the same as it occurred to me at the lake.

“Soon after I decided to self-publish the story, it began to fulfill its function as a comfort to bereaved people. In fact, the very day the little book came out was the day the terrible tsunami wave hit in the South Pacific. Even though this story was a friendly one about a wave, I knew that its ending, in which the Little Wave returns to the ocean from which he came, could bring comfort to suffering families, especially children. Accordingly, I arranged to have hundreds of copies sent to the tsunami survivors.

“Not many months later Hurricane Katrina provided another opportunity to send the book to many in distress. As a Hospice volunteer, I continue to find many opportunities to give the book to bereaved families.

“Shortly after that first version of Little Wave came out I received the following email:

Dear Mr. Ballard,

I lost my daughter in a sudden car accident. From that experience I learned comfort and growth by my artist gifts, found great solace and have been given great peace and stillness, much like a big wave.

After reviewing Little Wave and Old Swell, a timeless and enlightened story book, I have the honor of proclaiming it true medicine for the heart for both young and old alike. It softens the sting, and gives life where there is a hole of emptiness. It is a gift of wonder, grace and beauty accessible to any human being. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Catherine M. Elliott
www.catherinemelliott.com

“I visited Catherine Elliott's website (as I hope you will do), and was delighted to see examples of her wonderful talent as a gifted impressionist. I contacted her and asked her if she would illustrate the book. She agreed, and thus the wonderful paintings were created that now grace the pages of the book.

“In June of 2005 I decided to take copies of my self-published book to the Book Expo America in New York City, the largest book fair in the world. My goal was to find a publisher for Little Wave. When I told a friend from our meditation group I didn't know what I would do or how I would gain access to a publisher, he said, "Just go there and give out blessings." By acting on that advice, I found I was calm and content as I adventured through the crowds filling the gigantic Javits Center, seeking opportunities to get the book into the hands of the right people. On the second day I found myself at the Beyond Words booth, where I made immediate contact with their representative, who identified herself as "a Christian who loves Yogananda." She assured me she would champion the book back at the office. Soon I had a contract with Beyond Words.

“Not long after the book was ready, replete with Catherine Elliott's wonderful illustrations on every page, I received a call from Beyond Words' owner/editor Richard Cohn who advised me to wait another year to bring the book out. The reason was that Beyond Words had just made an arrangement to become an imprint of a major brand, Simon and Schuster, and if we waited until BW's old deal with their smaller distributor ran out, we would have much greater coverage in the stores.

“It was a long wait, but worth it. Among other blessings, it provided time to secure the endorsement of Deepak Chopra that appears here.

“Now that Little Wave and Old Swell is officially out in the world, I can't wait to see what other little miracles it brings about.”