This morning my husband delivered a box to my office and said, “Here are your books.”
Talk about a work interruption. Joy erupted and bliss ensued. It is no small thing to achieve a childhood dream. I can still see myself at the school playground behind my house, imaging the book I would write. Of course, this book was fiction about friendship and featured a fiend named Kirsten. I loved the word fiend back then. When I was young, I swung on these cool painted horses and dreamed. Later, I moved to the swings and pondered my destiny.
When an editor asked me about writing these two holistic healthcare guides, my first thought was negative: my kids are young, so I do not have time to write one book, let alone two. Then I stopped, remembered myself as a young girl dreaming, and rethought my answer. How could I not say yes to this project?
I did not have to say yes just once, but several times a day during the first six months of this undertaking. I still had to say yes once a day for a long time after that. You see, doubt plagued my mind and body during this entire process. I would love to say it was work, but manageable work. Instead, I really thought I would fail. I had to convince myself of success. I am here to tell you that journey was worth it. Tears of joy, laughter, and a celebratory Red Mill burger with Chris and Annie followed the opening of this beautiful brown box.
The books are gorgeous and cute, which is everything you look for in a book, really. My co-author and I used to joke, wondering when we would really be done with this project. (Our answer: after a successful review in the New York Times) Today I realized I am done. Success defined: The Healthy Back Book and The Healthy Knees Book.