Restoring a Life

Growing up, Dr. MacMillin's grandmother told him about his ancestors, one being the first governor of Vermont, Thomas Chittenden. Thomas led the young state through its infancy, including the Revolutionary War. On one level this is a good story about a guy, a girl, an old man...and a bad-arse sword, laddie. And yet, as we read, something profound is happening: our souls are becoming. Simply put, by inviting Dr. MacMillin's characters and story into our internal worlds, we will be confronting ourselves, both our beauty and brokenness. We are shaped and formed by those with whom we dance. In Restoring a Life, we dance with relational wisdom and truth. In the end, this is a story about learning to love and to be loved (Dr. Pickens).

Being a psychologist Dr. MacMillin is naturally curious about the events that occur in our formative years and how they shape our lives as adults. In Restoring a Life Dr. MacMillin explores how trying people and challenging situations test Thomas' character. His hope is that reading Thomas' story will stimulate introspective adults and mature adolescents to be curious about their own character development and think intentionally about the direction in which they would like to grow. Professionally, Dr. MacMillin aspires to help others both to know and to expand their stories. His goal as a writer is the same.

Restoring a Life was previously published as Granting Thomas: A Journey Beyond Adolescence.  The story is essentially the same, yet I have made some revisions that I hope have improved the telling of the story.