The cover of “No Matter What, I Love You” by Kimberly Hoffman. The Columbus resident wrote the children’s book to focus on acceptance and unconditional love, in support of the LGBTQ+ community. Hoffman tapped Franklin artist Greg Potter to provide illustrations for the book. SUBMITTED PHOTO
Such a small gesture made a big impact.
Kimberly Hoffman had come to Columbus’ Pride Festival with an oversized sign, written in bold letters: “Free Mom Hugs.” She walked around with the sign all day long, hoping to provide a bit of comfort to people who needed it.
Over and over again, she squeezed them tightly.
“I made up my mind that I was going to hug them like they were my kids, and I hadn’t seen them in months,” she said. “When I hugged them, I hugged them. I had kids come up and start telling me their stories — their parents won’t talk to them, or their parents kicked them out.
“I kept thinking, oh my gosh, these people just want to be loved.”
The experience stayed on Hoffman’s mind throughout the creation of her most recent passion project. Her ninth book “No Matter What, I Love You” is the Columbus author’s most recent release, a children’s book telling a story of acceptance in the face of doubt.
Not only does the book offer a message of acceptance to people struggling with their identities and sexuality, but also hopefully speaks to readers who need to work on being compassionate themselves.
“Parents can read that to their child, and people who are on the fence can read it and think, ‘Maybe I need to be more loving. I need to stop putting requirements on my love … I’ll love you as long as you do this,’” she said.
To go with Hoffman’s words, she tapped Franklin artist Greg Potter to illustrate the book. Together, the two have created something they hope brings comfort and confidence to people of all ages.
“It’s an issue that is forefront in many conversations around the country, and the story really makes it easy for most young people to know that they are loved, no matter what,” Potter said.
“No Matter What, I Love You” centers around a conversation between a child and their mother. The worried child wants to know if she would love them unconditionally: “Mama, does it matter/If I’m a boy or a girl? If I only wear jeans/or a fancy dress with pearls?”
The mother responds by asserting her love doesn’t change — “I love you just the same/If you’re a girl or a boy. When you’re simply being you/It brings my heart such joy.”
At the close of the story, the mother puts it very succinctly: “All colors of the rainbow/Are possible for you. Your choice won’t change my feelings/So to yourself be true.”
“It’s a good affirmation to the child, and a good affirmation for the parent. I wanted it to go both ways, it’s not just for kids, it’s for the adults who take care of them,” she said.
For Hoffman, that message resonated deeply for her. The Columbus author has penned other children’s books, including “Emma’s Dancing Day,” “Sigmund Stanley Spider Squared,” “Pete the Brave” and “Cleo and Roger Discover Columbus, Indiana.”
In 2021, she wrote a book featuring actual letters written by area children about the COVID-19 pandemic.
The inspiration for “No Matter What, I Love You” came from Hoffman’s daughter, Sarah, and stemmed from work on her previous book, “I Llama Ewe.” As she was writing, she wanted to make the characters more LGBTQ+ friendly.
“I’d already written the story, and I was trying to go back and add more to it. I talked to my oldest girl, and asked what she thought of it. She said, ‘Mom, you’re ruining the story,’” Hoffman said. “She said, ‘Mom, the story is complete. You’re trying to force something in. If you want to write something like that, write a whole separate story.’”
With the basic idea presented, Hoffman quickly finished the rest of the story. She hoped to pen a book that spoke directly to LGBTQ+ readers. Her daughters had come out, and since then she had become active in groups around the community. Through her day job at Cummins, she had attended trainings where she had repeatedly heard from members of the LGBTQ+ community.
“They kept saying how hard it was just to walk down the street holding hands. It really got to me — here, in Columbus?” “I guess I live a little bit sheltered, but I didn’t realize how tough it was for people in that community.
“It really bothered me that people were treated like that.”
The story came together easily; at the same time, Hoffman was searching for someone to add suitable illustrations to it. She reached out to other artists she had worked with, and multiple turned down the project.
Hoffman mentioned the book to Potter, who she knew from serving with him on the Creative Council of Franklin. Potter had also recommended an intern artist who did the illustrations for Hoffman’s book, “The Red Coat: Giving and Gratitude During the Great Depression.”
This time around, she explained her struggle to find an artist. Potter offered to do it.
“This time, I thought I have the time, and I wanted to do this because they are good friends and really good humans,” Potter said. “I wanted to illustrate it with some nice watercolor prints, but I switched to graphic markers due to my lack of experience in that medium. If I get to work with them again I will no doubt make them in a watercolor medium.”
“No Matter What, I Love You” is released by Columbus-based PathBinder Publishing, and comes out on June 28. The book can be ordered at local book stores, as well as online through Amazon. Hoffman also plans to be at Columbus Pride Festival in September.
The journey has been challenging, but Hoffman is immensely proud of the result.
“It was just really important for me to get this book out,” she said. “
