A total of 38 authors from across the globe contributed to the first edition of “Write for Light.” My fellow writers come from: Pakistan, Wales, England, the United States, Philippines, Macedonia, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Germany, Spain and Malawi. Our stories and poems touch on all kinds of difficult subjects, from living with multiple sclerosis, ADD and depression, to coping with the death of loved ones. My story, “Halloween Hell” is about the challenges of trick-or-treating with six year old twins, one of whom is on the autistic spectrum—and how our family navigated the experience, trying to have fun and remain upbeat in spite of our daughter’s embarrassing behavior.
Ms. Kuntz fell in love with Ghana while serving as a volunteer at Light for Children in 2011, after graduating from high school. Now only 20 years old, she left the University of Savannah to move to Ghana. She currently works full time to improve the lives of the vulnerable and disadvantaged children she has come to know and love. In addition to creating the Education Center and “caring for orphans, widows and the unloved,” Rebecca Kuntz’s goal is to “be a mother to 10+ and create opportunities for the children who inspire me daily.” As if these goals weren’t ambitious enough, she also dreams of adding a “friendly/recycled playground, art classes, summer camps, after school programs, women’s groups, farming, and children’s home.”
At a time when many people in our country are angry and bitter over the release of Trayvon Martin’s killer, it’s extremely uplifting to see a young white woman move to Ghana and devote herself to improving the lives of underprivileged black children and their families. How many 20 year olds of any race do you know that would be drawn so far out of their own world to relocate and work full-time to help less fortunate people from another continent?
I’m not going to Ghana any time soon. I have all I can do to take care of my over-privileged family. But it’s nice to know that I can do a little good in the world by putting my words on paper.
Marguerite Elisofon is a New York City writer and the author of My Picture Perfect Family, a memoir about how her family navigated life with a child on the autistic spectrum before the internet and support groups existed. She also blogs about parenting young adults and disability related issues in The Never Empty Nest. Her writing has been featured in a variety of publications, including Time and NY Metro Parents magazine, and her family’s story has been featured by the NY Post, Fox News, The Daily Mail, and on Jenny McCarthy’s Dirty Sexy Funny radio show. A Vassar graduate, Marguerite was born and raised in New York City, where she still lives with her husband, Howard, in their mostly-empty nest. She is available to speak about a wide variety of issues relating to twins, parenting, and autism. 