Samuel Atticus Cannon (Sammy) was born April 8, 1950. He had always been my cousin, who later became my friend, my Cuz and eventually My Brother. Being an only child, myself, having Sammy as a brother was huge in my life. We shared much in too short a time, at age sixty-seven his life on earth brought to an untimely ending by an incurable disease, chronic myelomonocyte leukemia. He gained his glorious angel wings February 17, 2018. I had begun writing about Cuz as my way to cope and heal from losing someone I so loved, but what a journey it has been. I documented this in a book I later published titled Cuz My Brother, Life is Good, God is Good. His family and friends contributed as well with wonderful memories. Writing that tribute book took me places that I was not prepared to go. Even in death life can offer purpose. Sammy’s death introduced me to something I had never experienced. Dealing with this tragic loss I found life, a relationship with God that I had never had. Imagine, a man in his sixties, who had never understood his purpose in this world and one who believed in God but had never experienced a life with God. That book was published June 8, 2018. Now begins a new chapter, different book, one with a powerful message and a T. Allen Winn awakening. It began innocently enough as a journal after publishing the book, a vessel for capturing my feelings in a spiritual journey. Oh, how it became much more, so much so that I felt compelled to share it. My journey is but my journey, one many have experienced, and it probably is not unique to anyone but me. God always has a plan for us. Maybe, just maybe, this one is from His playbook. It is my story to tell so here goes, blaming it on Cuz, his death guiding me toward something unexpectedly wonderful. It started as my journal, my reflections, my struggle to understand.
