Feels like labor…
I am very excited. It’s my birthday next month and for the first time I will be celebrating a completed draft. My birthday has been the occasion of many missed self-imposed deadlines but this year it finally happened. Over Labor Day weekend, and I love the birthing metaphor, I sent a fourth draft of my memoir to my editor.
Currently, I am awaiting her comments and suggestions. To avoid watching my inbox while holding my breath, I scheduled a vacation with my friend, Beth. We traveled to Vermont, Massachusetts, and upstate New York. The weather was positively glorious. We were a tad ahead of the peak color changes for the maple trees but still thoroughly enjoyed the trip.
It was imperative I get away from my laptop and the printed copy of the book. It’s safe to say it took a certain level of obsession to finish and I still will have a lot of work ahead to polish the draft into the final version.
I think it was Brene Brown who said, “There’s no such thing as a perfect book.” That’s reassuring, because trying to write one is an exercise in futility. My book covers a thirty year span and I’m most surprised at what I chose not to include. For better or for worse, it’s done.
Birthing this book has been exponentially more difficult than any of the four deliveries I’ve experienced. As I sit in the waiting room, I’m reminded of what really matters. My wonderful husband and fantastic children have cheered me on every step of the way. I’m indebted to them. It’s thrilling to be this close to a finished product but without their steadfast support I would never have made it.
Enjoy the last of the warm days and the cooling nights. I’m eager for what lies ahead.
Until next time,
Colleen (CBD)
