Finishing a Book

On Wednesday night I finally finished Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. It took me a good month or so to get through it, as I'm also reading the final Harry Potter with my husband (I won't even tell you how long we've been working on THAT title - but we're almost done with it, too!).

 

As I read the last few pages of Eat, Pray, Love, I was struck with a mixture of a sense of accomplishment and a profound sadness. Sure, it was great to finish the year's excursion with Gilbert. For 109 chapters and an epilogue of sorts, I followed her through a remarkable year of self-discovery and healing, living vicariously through her as she ate her way through Italy (reminiscing about my own summer there), struggled with silence and inner calm in India (she's so much stronger than she initially gave herself credit for!), and then allowed herself to find a new life balance in Bali (I'm ready to sign myself up for a trip there!). Through her candid and familiar voice I felt like her confidant and, as Anne of Green Gables would say, a bosom friend. And then, as quickly as the friendship began (ie., the introduction of the book), it ended (ie, the last page). Hence my sadness.

 

And so, while the journey was a fantastic one (I can't tell you how many times I laughed out loud), finishing it was a bit like returning home after a short vacation - you have great memories, but you wish it could last just a bit longer OR maybe just start planning the next one. That's what great writing does.

 

 

 

 

The Generosity of Many

While this week has been exciting, hectic and stressful (to say the least!), it has also been heartwarming and reassuring. In the midst of the chaos and rushed schedule (preschool, music class, MOD Mixer, spreading the word about the book, doctor's appointments . . . you get the drift) each day has been brightened by the unconditional generosity of people around me. It makes me proud to be part of my own community and confirms what I already knew: there IS goodness in this crazy world. Here are some of the things that made my heart smile this week:

 

- The graphic designer for my book is donating a portion from the sales of his own newly-released books to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (to read about his beautiful picture books for all ages and learn how to order, visit his AMAZINGLY polished and stunning website: www.olivethewollybugger.com)

- A MOD friend of mine is coordinating Random Acts of Kindness Week in our town next week to support our local businesses and remind people of how lucky we all are to have such an amazing community

- We had speakers visit our MOD Mixer yesterday from New Day for Children, a soon-to-be non-profit organization working to build an orphanage and offer educational opportunities to children in rural Tanzania who have lost their parents in the AIDS pandemic there

- My son's pre-school teachers read We Are Girls Who Love to Run to his class on Tuesday (the day after we got it in our own hands!) and are sharing the news of the book in the next newsletter - all UNSOLICITED!

- My healthcare provider is posting the newspaper article about me in the waiting area of his office (along with order forms and a copy of the book!) to spread word of the book and support our business as a fellow Chamber member

- A woman from the local Nestle' corporate training facility sent us a cookbook they just published and is offering to assist our school district's efforts to bring GoGirlGo! to our schools (I'm going with some PTA representatives from the schools in February to learn about this great program and how we can bring it to our girls! see: www.gogirlgo.org - national site, www.getagirlgoing.org - Seattle site)

- Deena Kastor (www.deenakastor.com) donated signed copies of her poster to the GoGirlGo! Seattle initiative

 

I think I'll stop now before my kids wake up!  I'm sure I could continue for another half hour listing out the positive things happening around me. Take a minute to become aware of the beautiful gestures swiriling around your world. It will make YOU smile and encourage you to be a positive element in others' lives. The goodness in this world is created by the compilation of single generous and giving gestures, ranging from simple smiles and volunteer time to monetary contribtions and organization of groups to help others.

 

The ups and downs of collaboration

I'm honored to be running a business with my mom. Her expertise/professionalism and understanding of my passion are priceless pieces that have enabled the publication of We Are Girls Who Love to Run and are what will keep the business of Balanced Steps going as we make the big push for the consulting/workshop branch of it. We've learned more in this past year about publishing a book and building a business than either of us ever dreamed we would need to know!  We've made plenty of mistakes, and have become stronger and smarter for them - thank goodness!

 

Since this business is all about BALANCE, it is something we're trying to establish with one another. How do we collaborate effectively? We are both involved in many decisions, but who is responsible for communicating the end results? Do we need to more clearly divide responsibilities and limit the decisions we make together and then just understand that we're to roll with the other person's decisions within their assigned realm?  How do we relinquish control and become more comfortable and confident with one another? Overall, I'd say we're making GREAT progress and producing some fantastic products and resources to make a positive impact in our community (and even the community at large - nationwide!), so I'm not really complaining. I just know that in order for us to take the book and the business to the next level, we have some tweaking to do - and I know my mom agrees. I suppose this is the challenge that all start-ups face once they are truly rolling forward . . . whew!  And then maybe we'll be prepared to get a few more hands on deck to help with it all - but first . . . book sales! 

 

 

The book is REAL!

So, after a year of working toward our goal of publishing my book, I can now hold it in my hands.  It is a REAL product now, not just a lofty dream. My mom and I expected to receive our first case of books (sent by air mail - the others are on a boat and will be arriving at the end of the month) at the end of the week and were more than pleasantly surprised to have them delivered to us today!  Woah.  I'm still shaking from the wonder of it all. Even my son was NUTS over the excitement of it all - dancing around, bouncing on his bouncy ball, and couldn't sit still to eat his lunch (and this boy lives to eat!). As soon as we could convince him to wash his hands, he got to be the first official reader of the book as my mom read it to him.  What a thrill!

 

There is more work yet to be done, but you can bet that now that we have the end result in-hand, we are twice as motivated and ready to get the full shipment into everyone's hands.  Hooray! 

 

 

Budding Runner

As a parent, I'm sometimes left wondering if I'm on the right track with what I'm modeling and directly teaching my children. I'm human and I make my fair share of mistakes. But then my three year-old says and does things that give me reassurance and peace of mind that we ARE raising them well. One thing that my husband and I are doing well is modeling healthy physical fitness. We're not fanatical about it, but we do make it a regular part of our lives - and it is rubbing off on our children!  Here are just a few things that show me that our son will be health-minded:

 

- "Go, Mama, go!" he cheers as I run on our treadmill.

- "Can I wear my running shoes, too? They make me FAST!" he says while lacing up his New Balance shoes as I tie mine.

- "Oh, I know!  We can walk there, we don't have to ride in the car," he suggests when we make our weekly visits to my parents' house (though when both kids are sick and it is snowing, I reassure him that it is okay to take the car).

- "Maybe we could RUN down the hill to the mailbox and then walk up the hill to say hello to my friend, John," he suggests a full quarter-mile option for what is really more of 1/10 of a mile chore.

- "Maybe after my nap we can go outside and have a snowball fight!" (I literally typed this as the words flowed out of his mouth in conversation with my husband).  This kid likes to explore his world!

- "Let's go for a bike ride!"

- "Maybe I can get fast if I practice on the treadmill, too."

- "I can't wait for the grass to grow so Dad and I can go out and mow the lawn." We should get this on in writing for when he's fifteen and it is his chore!

 

Not only do his words make me smile, for he says them in a way and with inflection that is truly a unique part of his charm, but they let me know that we're on the path for raising a son who feels confident in his own skin and knows how to have fun and get his body moving. Our daughter isn't talking yet, but she's on the move, too. A confident walker at eleven-months, we're sure that her own entry into the world of running is close at hand. Yet another good reason for us to continue taking care of our own bodies and physical fitness - we have to keep up with these two!

 

 

 

Getting Jittery!

So today we got word that the books will be shipped on January 7th - holy moly, that's next week!  One part of me wants to crank up some music and dance around the house like a lunatic as this dream of mine becomes a reality . . . but that darn, practical side of me is listing out the hundreds of "to-do" items that stand between the thousands of books that will be housed in two garages (ours and my parents')  the hands of thousands of readers.

 

Deep breath.  In . . . out.  Whew!

 

Wait a minute!  How often can someone say that their first published book is about to be in their hands? Until 2007 (thanks to some networking with fabulous authors/illustrators who have done all of this at least once themselves) I didn't know a single soul who experienced that amazement, so I'm willing to bet that the answer to my question is, "Not too frequently - and that window of time is a slender one!"

 

That said, I think I'll ignore that stuffy, practical, perfectionist gal inside me for once (I really do like that gal, as she can reach a goal like nobody's business, but I can't listen to her ALL of the time - she's exhausting!) and go put up my feet and relax.  I'll unleash the dancin' gal when the books ARE in hand - you'll know when that is, because she'll be singin' too (you might have to cover your ears, though. Sorry about that - my dancing is much better than my singing)!

 

What happened to nap time?

As the mother of two young children, I live for nap time. I've been known to use the time to catch a few winks for myself, but usually that only happens if I'm sick or didn't sleep the night before (hence my naps twice last week - the kiddos have been needing TLC in the wee hours of the night). Nap time is the time I reserve to wear my author shoes. You caught me - I don't wear shoes when I write, but you get the drift! The kids close their eyes and I know I'm safe to dive into my work when I hear the contented slurping of fingers (the thumb from my son's room, two fingers from my daughter's room).

But events from the last few weeks leave me in a bit of a panic. My daughter (nearly one) is content with just one nap in the afternoon (GASP!). To make matters worse . . . my son is now napping only EVERY OTHER DAY (double GASP!). That leaves me with just one opportunity for writing/reading others' work/researching/etc. a few times each week instead of my treasured twice a day gold standard. I fear this leaves me with no time for procrastinating or day dreaming because nap time is now more precious than . . . than . . . it is nearly as precious and rare as sleeping-in!

So now the work begins for me. My life-balance is out of whack and I'll be adjusting to find a new (and temporary, of course!) balance that will keep me working (books just don't launch themselves and my poor mom/business partner can't do it ALL herself!), the kids happy, the house hopefully out of the reach of chaos, my body healthy all the while maintaining my marriage so my husband knows I appreciate him and am still quite pleased that we found one another for this journey. I think that was a run-on sentence. Seeking balance sometimes does that to me - my thoughts get spinning faster than I can track them. Listing things is helpful in sorting it all out.

So, for the next few weeks as we figure out this new sleep schedule, you can bet that I'll be eyes-to-the-screen, fingers-to-the-keyboard every possible moment my children slumber. My blogs might be filled with to-do lists and adventures in figuring out how to sort through them. Stick with me, it means I'm problem solving and my brain is still functioning, slowly but surely. You can worry when the blog entries get sparse. It will mean one of two things:

- my son has given up naps altogether (it pains me to even type that, for fear it might come true!)
- the new speed of life has led me to establishing a balance that includes ME taking a nap on a regular basis

Either way, I'm up to my eyeballs in life's adventure looking forward to whatever comes my way! It will just be easier if I can somehow convince my son to keep napping . . .