Out of the Ordinary

With vivid memories of her very early life, Ruth Smith Meyer has spent seven decades processing what has made her feel different or unusual. Whether it was being born into a conservative Mennonite family, the differences in her physical composition, or the events of her life, they all contributed to the struggle and growth she experienced as she faced them one by one. Each of us is a unique being with our own special personality and genetic make-up. Some of us are more aware of the disparity than others. Smith Meyer’s candid recounting of her life from childhood to her senior years will keep you engaged. You will often relate to her struggles, grappling with inner conflicts and growth, and identify with the changes and decisions she needed to make. Ruth Smith Meyer is the author of adult novels Not Easily Broken and Not Far from the Tree and a children’s book, Tyson’s Sad Bad Day. She is a writer and speaker who nurtured her four children as a stay-at-home mom, gardener, seamstress, farm helper and school bus driver. When all her children were in school, she was thrilled to become Creative Director at a seniors day centre. Throughout her life she has been active and provided leadership in her church and community and as a presenter for Marriage Encounter. After the death of her husband, her second marriage added another four grown children. She and Paul together have eighteen grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.