Powerful lessons

A violent act spawned one of the most memorable Christmas messages for Ray Buckley growing up -- and now the Palmer man is sharing that message through "Christmas Moccasins," a children's book with a powerful message.

"Christmas Moccasins" is a true story that details a boy -- Buckley -- and his grandmother, who were met by three drunk youths on a trail at the onset of winter. The youths knocked the pair down, took their coats and the grandmother's moccasins which forced her to walk home barefoot. The frostbite she endured cost her two toes.

For three months following, the grandmother worked on three pairs of moccasins, beading them on top and bottom. She wrapped them and on Christmas Eve, they delivered the moccasins to the very same boys that assaulted them months before.

For Buckley, it was a tale he struggled with telling.

"It took a really long time to tell the story, for a number of reasons," Buckley explained. "It's an important story that taught me a lot growing up, but it's more my grandmother's story than mine. I wondered if it were a story she would want me to tell.

"I also struggled with how to tell the story for children," Buckley said. "It's a true story, but the impact of the violence I didn't include, because it is a children's book."

Buckley has written three previous children's books, and he proudly pulls upon his Native American heritage in each one.

Buckley, who is of Lakota/Tlingit/Scots descent, uses heritage to "share the Creator's love and compassion toward all creation in new and exciting ways."

While Buckley writes the story, he also recognizes the illustrator every time he looks in a mirror.

"I don't think of myself as an artist at all," he said. "Growing up, we didn't have a lot of money and you had to be inventive. Art was something I could do for fun."

The illustrations wonderfully tell the story, and they also benefit others, as has the art in Buckley's three previous children's books -- "The Give-Away," "God's Love is Like" and "The Wing." That's because the publisher, Abingdon Press, has allowed Buckley to keep the rights for his art, as long as they are for charitable purposes.

"The nice thing is that Abingdon makes the art available for me to give to charitable organizations to raise money," Buckley said. "I'm very grateful they have allowed me to do it."

In the past, artwork from Buckley's books have been used for a women's and children's shelter, for example.

Art has been used from the books to make cards, which have been sold for charitable purposes, he said.

Buckley moved to Palmer a year ago from Nashville, to help take care of his mother. During last Christmas, he was in the process of putting together the story and illustrations for "Christmas Moccasins," as well as putting the finishing touches on a text book he writing about storytelling.

With such a hectic schedule, last year's holiday season was about work, work, work.

"This year, I promised I wouldn't pick up another project and the holidays are something I'm going to enjoy with my family," he said with a laugh. "Last year I was too busy to enjoy the holidays it seemed."

Buckley will be signing copies of "Christmas Moccasins" at Fireside Books in Palmer on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Also as part of Colony Christmas, Fireside Books is hosting several acclaimed authors. On Friday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Kirsten Dixon, author of "The Winterlake Lodge Cookbook" will be at Fireside, as will columnist Mike Doogan and author Barbara Brown. On Saturday, Mike Dillingham, author of "Rivers Book Two: Through the Eyes of a Blind Dog," will join Buckley. On Saturday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Ann Dixon and Pam Flowers, authors of "Big Enough Anna," will be there.