Parent Wisdom
When I was young, my dad used to tell me,
"Before you judge someone, step into their shoes."
Later in life, my mom told me,
"If you don't wake up dead, you might as well get on with it!"
When I think about it now,
One was telling me how to walk
And the other was telling me why I'd best get going.
—M. Roncari
About The Author
Maria Roncari rarely leaves you wondering what she meant to say—in person or on paper. She discovered her writer's voice at the age of thirteen when an interrupted dream to become a professional dancer inspired her to write a humorous school play that unexpectedly changed her path.
With over five decades of writing, directing, producing, and teaching, Roncari has brought countless shows and stories to life, including nearly eight hundred love story marriage ceremonies she wrote and officiated. It was toward the end of her seventeen years in Art and Design Entertainment at Universal Orlando that co-worker friends encouraged her to finally share her childhood experience in Ollie's Gift.
Ms. Roncari continues her creative journey now as a writer, speaker, and teacher. She perseveres in the Call to Action related to Ollie's Gift, as well as the development of The Bodwell Project and a new series, The Bodewell Chronicles.
Maria views humanity as stories just waiting to be told, and her cherished children and the ever-changing rhythm of life never cease to fuel her creative passions. "Life gives us a kaleidoscope of adventures with a few comedies of errors thrown in to keep us on our toes."