It felt more like a family reunion as local author, Vanessa (McIntosh) VanCleave held her first book review and signing at the Jim Lucas Checotah Library on Thursday, Dec. 7. VanCleave’s mother had formerly worked at the local library so it only seemed fitting for VanCleave to start her book review journey there and her review touched everyone who came.

VanCleave’s read an excerpt from her book, Hearing Aids: I signed ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas and wondered if she (Maegan) would truly grasp the concept of Santa. “Santa brings toys… Maegan asleep tomorrow… Maegan wake up open gifts!”

Close enough. I stayed up into the night, wrapping and arranging the gifts. Justin would come over later on Christmas Day, so I wrapped his gifts as well. The thing I forgot, though, was to tell Maegan she needed to wake up Jeff and me first, before opening the gifts.

I woke up to the sound of ripping paper and Maegan’s voice cooing, “WOOOW!”

I punched Jeff’s arm, causing him to sit straight up in bed.

“Get up, get up, GET UUPPP! She’s opening the presents!”

Jeff was wiping his eyes, trying to make sense of what was happening, while I jerked on my robe and charged into the living room. There she sat in the middle of mounds of wrapping paper and opened boxes. She had opened all of them, every single one.”

VanCleave went on to explain that because she had been intent on getting Maegan to understand that Santa was coming that she forgot to emphasize to wake them up first and not all the presents were for her.

VanCleave read two more excerpts before taking questions and signing several books, as guests enjoyed refreshments provided by the library.

“What a joy it was to share Maegan’s message of hope at my first reading Thursday evening!” VanCleave expressed. “I was overwhelmed with gratitude to those who came, especially because my mother used to work at this library and one of my daddy’s softball players also came so it felt like my parents were winking at me from heaven.”

VanCleave, who is a former Eufaula High School graduate and Mvskoke citizen, released earlier this year her first book, Hearing AIDS: How a Deaf Child with AIDS Taught Me to Hear God’s Voice. It is the tragic yet triumphant story of Maegan, Vanessa’s step daughter, who valiantly battled AIDS and became deaf at a very tender age. In this touching memoir, VanCleave honors this brave little girl who through her silent world taught others to listen more closely to God’s still, small voice.

It was apparent by the turnout of family and friends, Maegan had touched many lives during her brief eight years on this earth and she was continuing to touch others as they picked up VanCleave’s book and read her story.

“I’ve been working on this memoir for over 20 years,” VanCleave said. “I kept thinking if I finished the book, it would be closing the last chapter on Maegan’s life and I just couldn’t do it. Now I realize it was really opening a whole new chapter.”

VanCleave’s roots run deep in McIntosh County. In fact the county was named after her ancestors whose members led the migration of the Lower Towns to Indian Territory and served as leaders for generations. Her father was Vann McIntosh who was the director at Eufaula Boarding school for four years then served as Cooper Mc-Clain principal for over 10 years. Her mom was a fourth grade teacher and librarian at Eufaula and Checotah, and her grandmother was Hazel McIntosh, the postmaster at Stidham for many years.

VanCleave grew up in rural Oklahoma and attended the Big Arbor Indian Baptist Church in Stidham where they sang Mvskoke songs every week.

“I first learned the power of the written word in first grade at Crowder Elementary School. My teacher, Concetta Gragg, made a big deal out of a poem I wrote about the dogwood tree. My pastor asked me to recite it at church on Easter Sunday, and my soul was awakened to the power of the written word to touch hearts.

“My love and calling as a writer flourished in high school and it went on into college. At Connors State College, Wilmatine Griffin was my Creative Writing teacher and gave me my first journal that I started writing our story in. So it was an honor to have her introduce me tonight at the book reading.

“I have always loved the power of stories and storytelling. I actually worked for the Eufaula Indian Journal as a copywriter the year after I graduated in 1992. It was there that I learned the power of stories, I think and everyone loves a heartfelt story.

As VanCleave read excerpts out of her book to the crowd, Rene’ Ryan, former Exec. Dir. of Tulsa Speech & Hearing Assoc., interpreted for those with hearing impairments.

“While some in the community didn’t quite understand and even shunned us because of Maegan having aids, the Deaf Community lovingly took us in, saying we were one of them. That’s why we had to move to get Maegan into the Oklahoma School for the Deaf. It was there where she met Samuel, who became her best friend and ‘sweetheart’ while she was still with us. Seeing my deaf friends, Steve and Shelley Fewell, tonight chatting about the book was such a blessing. They are Samuel’s parents and to this day Samuel still sends me pictures when he visits Maegan’s grave.”

Other guests who showed up for the book reading included:

• Martha Solomon, Maegan’s first sign language teacher who worked for Sooner Start and came to the Van-Cleave’s home each week to teach them to sign

• Dorothy Merrick, Maegan’s nurse in the hospital. Her son, Jim, was a blind student at East Central University where the VanCleaves were resident hall directors • VanCleave’s cousin Ellen Wolfe, whose brother was also deaf

• VanCleave’s uncle on her mother’s side, Kenneth Legg and his wife, Vickie, along with another cousin Jason Legg

• Cheryl Powell, Van-Cleave’s best friend who helped at the book signing At the end of the reading, VanCleave also told the story of how Jeff (Maegan’s dad) had brought in a beautiful moth in a jar for Maegan to see while she was stuck in the hospital. However, after seeing the beautiful creature contained in the jar, Maegan insisted that they open the window to let it go because butterflies were supposed to be free. Hearing this VanCleave knew that Maegan was meaning more than just the butterfly needed to be set free. Maegan also wanted to be set free from the confinement of hospital beds and her sick body and soon would ask her family to pray for her to go home to heaven.

After Maegan died, VanCleave would write the song, Butterflies Are Supposed to Be Free, in Maegan’s honor. As a special treat she sang the chorus as she wrapped up the memorable evening and book signing. The chorus seemed to say it all, “She said butterflies are supposed to be free, and this world keeps trying to capture me, but I will spread my wings and fly, for now it is goodbye. This is not the end you’ll see, it’s just that butterflies they’re supposed to be free.”

VanCleave will be at Okmulgee Public Library on Dec. 14 at 5 p.m. and copies of her book can be purchased on Amazon.