The San Diego Memoir Writers Association is honored to present volume three of compelling true stories drawn from our annual Memoir Showcase contest. This year’s winning selections address the theme of I Didn’t See That One Coming. While these stories were written before the global pandemic, they offer insight and reflections on how unseen events shape our lives.

The stories within these pages are awe-inspiring. Our authors bravely share their life-altering surprises and vulnerable moments no one ever saw coming in a collection that is thrilling, heartwarming, humorous, and moving.

There are many stories about people trapped in their material existence, who go through a transformative experience and discover their soul and connection to the Divine. In Grit & Glue: The Transformation of a Ship and a Soul, I write about knowing my soul as a child, and spending my life striving to integrate and embrace my spiritual awareness while being fully human and part of life on Earth.