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In 1999 Dianne Ahern was leading a very successful life. She had a master's degree in healthcare administration and was vice
president of Elan Systems, an international healthcare consulting firm. But, she says, that just wasn't enough.
"I was walking to work one day, having my morning talk with God and wondering if I was doing the right thing with
my life. This idea just came to me. Why not develop a series of books that commemorate and celebrate special events in people's
lives?"
That moment of inspiration has not taken long to materialize. Ahern presented the idea to here partners at Elan Systems,
who thought that it would open new opportunities for the company. Elan already published findings and recommendations in print
and graphic format for their clients, so a new division of the company was formed called Aunt Dee's Attic. By June 2000, Aunt
Dee's Attic had published Ahern's first book, 'Today I Was Baptized'.
"Baptism seemed like a logical place to start," Ahern said, "It is the first sacrament that Christians
receive, and most of the time it is administered to infants. It is also a cause of great celebration that often brings generations
of family together."
The book is written from the perspective of the baby being baptized. It also contains short essays on why we baptize,
water in baptism, the baptism of Christ, anointing with oil and the baptismal gown. In the back are pages for photographs
and "My Baptism Memories."
The illustrations, done by Katherine Larson, depict Ahern's parish of St. Thomas the Apostle as well as the pastor, Fr.
Roger Prokop.
Now, Ahern has completed her second book, 'Today We Became Engaged'.
"This book encourages couples to actually examine what is important to themselves and their chosen mate," Ahern
said. "It talks about love and how it progresses from childhood through adolescence to adulthood. It discusses commitment,
fairness, courage, compassion, honesty, respect and forgiveness."
'Today We Became Engaged' offers helpful hints for things such as the ring, the proposal and acceptance. It also has an
entire section for the couple to record their story: how they met, their courtship, the engagement story, and possibilities
for the future.
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