New Memoir Shares 'Life Lessons Learned' from Aiding Children

Francis X. Ryan shares the "Life Lessons Learned" (published by Xlibris) from his walk of atonement and gratitude across America. He recounts how his life was changed by the 2,806-mile-long sojourn to raise awareness for the Sisters of Good Shepherd's mission of caring for children with emotional, behavioral and developmental disabilities.

Ryan was spurred by the effects of the 2008 financial crisis, which disrupted the funding for mental healthcare. His faith commanded him to do something for the vulnerable, so he journeyed around the nation to tell all who would listen about the children's plight. He recounts these encounters with beautiful, decent and caring people, which replaced his cynicism with hope, gratitude and renewed faith in mankind.

"After seeing what many of the children at Good Shepherd have gone through, I realized that I was not poor at all," Ryan says. "I never once doubted that my mom and my brothers and sisters and family loved me. The children of Good Shepherd and the sisters have taught me to be grateful for the wonderful gifts that I have been granted caretaker of."

With "Life Lessons Learned," the author offers his personal realizations and reflections to readers everywhere so that they can join him in experiencing spiritual renewal and witnessing the genuine goodness of people, letting his audience know that "there is hope for us, our society, our children."

Frank Ryan has served on numerous boards of directors of nonprofit charitable organizations. In March 2008, he was elected chair of the board of directors of Good Shepherd Services. He is a CPA, commentator and expert in corporate restructurings and management. He is a Knight of Malta and a graduate of Mount Saint Mary's College, with an MBA from the University of Maryland. A retired marine reserve colonel, he was recalled to active duty in December 2004 and served until June 2005. Prior to his initial retirement, he served as the central command special operations officer. His personal decorations include three Legions of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal and the US Army Commendation Medal.

Xlibris Publishing, an Author Solutions, LLC imprint, is a self-publishing services provider created in 1997 by authors, for authors. By focusing on the needs of creative writers and artists and adopting the latest print-on-demand publishing technology and strategies, we provide expert publishing services with direct and personal access to quality publication in hardcover, trade paperback, custom leather-bound and full-color formats. To date, Xlibris has helped to publish more than 60,000 titles. For more information, visit xlibris.com or call 1-888-795-4274 to receive a free publishing guide. Follow us @XlibrisPub on Twitter for the latest news.

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