Finding Joy In The Journey

Manchester's Breeda Kelly Miller Brings Hope to Caregivers Through Theater Finding Joy in the Journey:

Written by Carol Wotring, Executive Director of Manchester Community Resource Center

When Manchester resident Breeda Kelly Miller sat down to write about her mother's life, she never imagined it would become a powerful one-woman play that would touch audiences nationwide—and now come home as a fundraiser for her community.

"Mrs. Kelly's Journey Home" chronicles Miller's spunky Irish immigrant mother, Mary Kelly, from her journey to America through her final years with dementia. What could have been heartbreaking instead becomes, as Chicago playwright Vicki Quade describes it, "a moving, joyous exploration of love, roots and family that keeps audiences riveted from the opening line to the closing blessing."

Miller, who cared for her mother in her Manchester home for six years, knows firsthand the isolation and challenges facing caregivers. "I was not a perfect caregiver," she admits candidly. "When you fall down, give yourself grace." Her message to other caregivers is both honest and hopeful: "We can cope. We can find ways to find humor, maybe not in the moment, but at the end of the day."

The play doesn't sugarcoat the reality of dementia. "It doesn't end well; it's awful; it's real," says Miller.

But her approach finds light in the darkness. "When there is no cure, we have to find the joy—that's the essence of Mrs. Kelly. There is always hope."

Using only vocal inflections to transform between characters, Miller portrays herself, her mother, her father, and a family neighbor in this theatrical memoir. The most compelling moments, she notes, are "how I failed tremendously and then redeemed myself."

Now Miller is generously donating her performance to benefit her hometown. On Sunday, November 2nd at 2:00 PM, she'll perform "Mrs. Kelly's Journey Home" at Manchester Jr./Sr. High School Auditorium as a fundraiser for the Manchester Community Resource Center. A meet-and-greet with Miller follows the performance.

Following her mother's philosophy of "do what you can, where you can," Miller embodies the CRC's mission of community connections through her generous donation.

Tickets are $30 and available at the CRC office or manchestercrc.org. It's an afternoon that promises both laughter and healing—exactly what Mary Kelly would have wanted.