: About Me

Patty Bates-Ballard is a mother and writer who advocates respect for the earth and its people. The owner of WordSmooth, a Dallas-based communications company, Patty has just published her first book, Navigating Diversity. She has written for Environmental Design & Construction Magazine, the American Association of Naturopathic Medical Colleges and World Press, among others.

Patty's Socha diversity + effectiveness workshops have been delivered to thousands of employees across the country. A graduate of Austin College, Patty works from her home in Dallas, Texas, where she raises her sons, Kory and Kaden.

My passion is ...

Learning, connecting, healing

I know too much about ...

Racism

My parents always told me ...

To tell the truth

My childhood ambition ...

To be a missionary

My favorite memory ...

Celebrating the solstice on a full moon

Why I write ...

When I have something to say, my mind won't rest until I get it down on paper

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

Andrea Bocelli + nursery songs

My first job ...

Telemarketing in high school

My best moment ...

Two: the births of my two sons

My inspiration ...

A deep belief that we are all connected, and wanting to do what I can to make the world healthier for the next generation

Creative Writing > Memoirs Memoirs: My baby is special

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I love so many things about my baby boy: The way he winks one eye as he smiles, the way his head feels on my chest as he falls asleep, and oh, do I love the sounds he makes. His baby noises have a strange power over me. As I give him his bottle, his sounds draw me closer until my ear is so close to his mouth that I hear every sweet suck and squeaky swallow. After he had to stay in the hospital with breathing issues for his first three weeks of life, I never felt so grateful to wake up and hear his little putter-snore. I have a real appreciation for his two purposeful and brief cries: one f...

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