Valerie Schultz almost stumbled into prison ministry, a happy accident of a beginning. Initially fearful of the scary people she’d meet and the dark place she’d be working, she found that some inmates were dangerous, but many were kind; some were mean and some were friendly; some were misogynistic and some were respectful; some were quiet and some were loud. In short, they were a lot like the non-incarcerated population.As Schultz went from volunteering to working in a clerical position and then running a library on a yard, she learned to see the prisoners as human beings. They possessed all the quirks and gifts and flaws, the nobility and the sin, that define humanity—every single one of them a human being created and loved by God. It was no challenge to find God in all things in prison, because God was palpably everywhere.In Overdue, Schultz shares what she learned and the grace she received during her fourteen years inside an American prison. Her experience and insights will transform how you see the people around you and the world we all share.

Valerie Schultz almost stumbled into prison ministry, a happy accident of a beginning. Initially fearful of the scary people she’d meet and the dark place she’d be working, she found that some inmates were dangerous, but many were kind; some were mean and some were friendly; some were misogynistic and some were respectful; some were quiet and some were loud. In short, they were a lot like the non-incarcerated population. As Schultz went from volunteering to working in a clerical position and then running a library on a yard, she learned to see the prisoners as human beings. They possessed all the quirks and gifts and flaws, the nobility and the sin, that define humanity—every single one of them a human being created and loved by God. It was no challenge to find God in all things in prison, because God was palpably everywhere. In Overdue, Schultz shares what she learned and the grace she received during her fourteen years inside an American prison. Her experience and insights will transform how you see the people around you and the world we all share.

2023 Catholic Media Association Third Place Award, AnthologyDo we make too much of our day-to-day problems? In the big scheme of things how important can they be? Award-winning storyteller Valerie Schultz answers these questions through deeply touching—and sometimes provocative—personal accounts of family, career, addiction, alienation, romance, aging, and loss. With compassion and honesty Schultz retraces the passages of ordinary life, finding grace and the presence of God in those she loves and those she struggles to love.

Aging is an inescapable part of life, something we celebrate when we are young and intent on achieving all those milestones – 16 and driving! 18 and voting! 21 and drinking! – but that becomes more sobering as the milestones are fewer and perhaps grimmer. This book addresses, from the point of view and personal experience of a 65-year-old baby boomer with a bad hip, how we got here, how we carry on our journey with grace and humor, and where we are going next.

Valerie Schultz almost stumbled into prison ministry, a happy accident of a beginning. Initially fearful of the scary people she’d meet and the dark place she’d be working, she found that some inmates were dangerous, but many were kind; some were mean and some were friendly; some were misogynistic and some were respectful; some were quiet and some were loud. In short, they were a lot like the non-incarcerated population.As Schultz went from volunteering to working in a clerical position and then running a library on a yard, she learned to see the prisoners as human beings. They possessed all the quirks and gifts and flaws, the nobility and the sin, that define humanity—every single one of them a human being created and loved by God. It was no challenge to find God in all things in prison, because God was palpably everywhere.In Overdue, Schultz shares what she learned and the grace she received during her fourteen years inside an American prison. Her experience and insights will transform how you see the people around you and the world we all share.

Valerie Schultz almost stumbled into prison ministry, a happy accident of a beginning. Initially fearful of the scary people she’d meet and the dark place she’d be working, she found that some inmates were dangerous, but many were kind; some were mean and some were friendly; some were misogynistic and some were respectful; some were quiet and some were loud. In short, they were a lot like the non-incarcerated population. As Schultz went from volunteering to working in a clerical position and then running a library on a yard, she learned to see the prisoners as human beings. They possessed all the quirks and gifts and flaws, the nobility and the sin, that define humanity—every single one of them a human being created and loved by God. It was no challenge to find God in all things in prison, because God was palpably everywhere. In Overdue, Schultz shares what she learned and the grace she received during her fourteen years inside an American prison. Her experience and insights will transform how you see the people around you and the world we all share.

2023 Catholic Media Association Third Place Award, AnthologyDo we make too much of our day-to-day problems? In the big scheme of things how important can they be? Award-winning storyteller Valerie Schultz answers these questions through deeply touching—and sometimes provocative—personal accounts of family, career, addiction, alienation, romance, aging, and loss. With compassion and honesty Schultz retraces the passages of ordinary life, finding grace and the presence of God in those she loves and those she struggles to love.

Aging is an inescapable part of life, something we celebrate when we are young and intent on achieving all those milestones – 16 and driving! 18 and voting! 21 and drinking! – but that becomes more sobering as the milestones are fewer and perhaps grimmer. This book addresses, from the point of view and personal experience of a 65-year-old baby boomer with a bad hip, how we got here, how we carry on our journey with grace and humor, and where we are going next.