Tia Shurina details some of the most poignant and important relationships that have changed her in her recent memoir. In Everything and a Happy Ending, Tia details her relationships with three of the most important men in her life: her father, her ex-husband, and her relations with Ray Romano of Everybody Loves Raymond. One of the main things that I noticed as her memoir went on is that Tia Shurina not only grew into herself but also found the courage to be herself and do things that she would not have done before, if she had not been influenced by the men in her life.
When reading Everything and a Happy Ending you realize that this memoir jumps back and forth in years, so you have to pay attention to certain details. We discover that Tia has issues in her marriage and it is hard for her and her husband Larry to get through them. At one point she comes to the realization that one of the biggest issues that she will always have in that relationship is the lack of intimacy. “I wanted intimacy in my life, a connection, a truth. I wanted that special unspoken closeness and bond with one special trusted other who knew every inch of me, inside and out. The sadness and fear made me want to reach out to him for comfort, but I didn’t know who that him was.” This is the moment when we see Tia come out of her shell and we then find out that she also had a breast cancer scare, and an allergic reaction to a shot of cortisone. This in turn, is the push that she needs to get her life in order, make changes, and start moving.
We all have that one moment in life where a situation is just so jarring that it wakes us up to see what is really in front of us. While reading, there was a point where there was a situation with one of Tia’s neighbors that I could really relate to. Her neighbor had to be taken to the hospital, his wife has Alzheimer’s and he has Parkinson’s. When she entered their home and she looked at some of mail she realizes that these people have been neighbors for a long time and she did not even know their last names. This sent Tia into a whirlwind of thoughts from what is happening to her in the future and who will help her when she is old. This also made me think about the future and being lonely, but also that we speak to so many people throughout the day but do not really know who they are. That situation itself made me think of how sometimes as a society, we ourselves, are out of touch with people that are close to us.
Tia details how her love affair with Ray Romano not only made her see herself in a better light, but she also became a muse for Ray. Tia’s relationship with her dad is another important relationship that shapes Tia into who she is today. While her dad is in a coma, she is listening to Louis Armstrong on her iPod and puts one ear bud in her dad’s ear. This moment between daughter and father is the last that they have, but they are still connected. As she sits there and rests her head against her dad she realizes that he left her with a lot of gifts. His death left her with the guilt that she didn’t get there before he lost consciousness, even though her therapist told her that she “made it to his side when it was exactly right and perfect.” Showing us that situations like this can also send us on an emotional roller coaster that can change us.
Memoirs like Everything and a Happy Ending really give insight into how a person has been influenced and has changed through the actions, conversations, and situations that he or she encounters. For more information on Everything and a Happy Ending and Tia Schurina visit www.everythingandahappyending.com. You can still purchase a copy through Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, and through their website.
Twisted Talk: Have you read Everything and A Happy Ending by Tia Shurina before? Will you be adding it to your list of books to read? Discuss below!
