By Kelly Wise Legg
Annette (Netty) Miller owns Gem Dry Cleaner in Riverview, although she considers herself as “just the cashier and operator for the true owner of her business – God.” With the dry cleaning shop as her mission field, Miller comes in contact with customers everyday facing difficult situations such as family crises, illness and death.
Recently, Miller was inspired to write a children’s book titled The Very Lonely Suit based on her interactions and relationships with her customers. Written for children that may have experienced a death of a loved one, Miller wishes her book to be an inspiration and comfort to the reader.
“So many of our customers come into the store and have similar stories about their life struggles,” said Miller. “Its not really about the dry-cleaning, its about the bond and relationships that are formed with people in the community.”
The Very Lonely Suit describes a special journey of a small boy’s suit that was left at the dry cleaners. A trip through the dry cleaning machines makes the suit as good as new, but no one returns to claim it. Eventually the mother of the young boy who wore the suit comes back to the dry cleaners to retrieve the lonely suit and realizes that her son has outgrown it, so she asks Miller to find the suit a new family. Eventually, the suit finds a new owner – a young boy who is about to embark on a celestial journey.
The book is written in rhyming prose and illustrated with bright colors. Miller is currently in the beginning stages of a second book that will address the issue of the different types of families.
“So many children come from homes with either one parent, or step parents, or adopted siblings,” said Miller. She was inspired to write this story because she has two adopted sons from Korea.
Miller attends The Crossing Church and has owned Gem Dry Cleaners for over seven years. Her regular customers appreciate her kind words, inspiration, and a dependable and affordable dry cleaner.
The Very Lonely Suit can be purchased through Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble. Gem Dry Cleaners is located at 10312 Bloomingdale Ave. in Riverview. For more information, visit www.gemdrycleaners.com or call 622-7100.
