Mary Jane Clayton

Mary Jane Clayton grew up in Florida with her mom, dad, two brothers and a sister. Her family wasn’t real religious in the sense that we went to church every Sunday, but they did believe in God and knew that kindness to others and thanking God for the goodness in their lives were the two most important parts of living. After graduating from high school, she moved to Utah to go to college. While there, she met a man from Provo, Utah whom she later married and they had three wonderful children. After fifteen years of marriage, they ended up going their separate ways. It was now time for a new experience so she and her three children decided to go on a wild adventure and move to Southern California. They have now been in California for almost thirty years. Her new book, Brittany’s Rose, is a tribute to her granddaughter Brittany who lost her life to leukemia two weeks after her fifth birthday. It will take you from heartache to peace of mind as you step into the realm of the unknown and learn to believe. It is the story of her healing journey.

Articles:

Helping Others Helps the Griever

As I read about the grieving process, I noticed many suggest we should do something nice for someone else. It’s hard to think of reaching out to another person when you feel so broken, but doing so opens our eyes to the fact that there are still good things going on in life and being a part of them will lift us up. It may be a temporary fix, but even a temporary fix feels good. No matter how simple or elaborate it may be, it always works. When you give, you receive. While working on my book, Brittany’s Rose, […]

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To Find Peace, Just Look Up

Below is an excerpt from the To Do List in my book Brittany’s Rose. Just Look Up I spent many hours looking up at the sky as I drove to and from the hospital to see Brittany. As I did so, I realized why God gave us such a extraordinary roof over our heads.  Still, to this day, the sky brings me great comfort. Sometimes, “up” is where we look for hope and inspiration. Other times, it could be we just want to feel the freedom of a wide-open space. No matter what time of day or night, the beauties […]

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Giving Meaning to the Short Life of a Granddaughter

The day that changed the lives of my family started with my four-year-old granddaughter, Brittany, sneaking in the front door with two little pink roses hiding behind her back.  When a precious little hand reaches towards you holding something so dear, the warmth and tenderness you feel have no words.  Little did we know what effect a pink rose would have on the rest of our lives. The next morning was supposed to be the first day at her new school, but things changed over night.  By morning, she was burning up with fever.  From the doctor’s office, she was […]

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Finding Peace After the Death of a Grandchild

I’m an ordinary person just like you, trying to keep up with life and make the most of every day. Usually, we wake up each morning with plans for what we need or want to do that day. We get ourselves in gear and begin to put the day’s plan in motion without every thinking life might throw us a curve ball. Then one day, we get that pitch. If you’ve ever received news that puts you in a state of shock, you know how it feels to be left wondering how you can possible handle what was just thrown […]

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