It has been several months since I last wrote a blog post. Those months have been filled with both good and bad. Personally, I try to focus on the good.
Working on a New Book
I finished a manuscript in 2021, revised it for my editor’s assistant in early 2022, but it was not green-lighted for publication. Very discouraging, but I know it’s a good story, and I will not give up on it. I just need to find the right editor. Searching for a new publisher is not a fun process, but I believe in the project, so I will do it. I can’t let this rejection get me down.
I can also focus on my newest work-in-progress, a novel I enjoy writing. It’s always fun to get to know new characters and find a fresh start. I am happy when I’m creating and putting words on the page.
Winter Doldrums
It’s hard to ignore cold weather and bleak, gray skies, but I can focus on the neighborhood men who showed up to shovel my sidewalk and driveway during last month’s snowstorms. They appeared unasked, and I barely had time to thank them before they finished the job and left.
Those acts of kindness were not the only ones I experienced last month. The week before Christmas, neighbors came by three days in a row to bring home-baked cookies for us. Different neighbors each time. The kindness people show is uplifting. How can I dwell on unpleasant things when four young children appear on my doorstep, holding out a tin of cookies, saying, Merry Christmas?”
I was sick recently, and family members picked up my medicines and brought me groceries. Acts of kindness can be almost as healing as the meds.
Reflecting on 2022
The year 2022 gave me a lot of good things to remember: a family reunion, get-togethers with friends and family, school visits to meet readers and talk about my books. These things were rarely possible in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid, and it was a joy to be able to do them again.
People we cared about died in 2022, and we mourned. There were also births, and we celebrated. There were war, destruction, and poverty, but we witnessed moments of strength and resilience. There were also acts of kindness along the way. We saw the worst in people, but the best in others. I try to focus on the positive.
Life comes with both good and bad. If we can, we let the good help us get through the bad. And when we feel our worst, an act of kindness—whether we are the giver or on the receiving end—can brighten any day.
Happy 2023! Focus on the good, and be ready to create it when you can.
