What a long year it was...

I definitely know I am not alone when I say 2020 was a long year. The obviousness for me is in my silence on this blog.

In 2019 my aunt, my mother, my cat, and my grandmother all passed away. It was, to say the least, a devastating year. 

So when 2020 rolled around I knew it was going to be my year (like we all did right?). It started out great! I had two new children's books coming out. I signed up to attend three different author/book conferences. I even was finalizing 'Wolf's Beautiful Beast' which I had been stuck on (darn writers block) for a couple years.

Then it hit. You know what IT I speak of. IT which shall not be named but rhymes with Sharona Cyrus. lol

My kids' school closed, and I was thrown into homeschooling. The author conferences were canceled. Worst of all there was no toilet paper in sight!

I tried to make the best of a crazy situation. I still managed to get my Buddy the Blue Corgi children's books published, which was super exciting. I decided to enjoy my time home with the kids, instead of seeing it as an inconvenience. We played a lot of board games last summer.

Then my cousin and her husband got sick with the virus. They ended up passing away within two days of each other. More and more people I knew ended up sick; thankfully all recovered. But fear set in. My husband is an essential worker, and the main provider for our family. He had to work, but I worried for my children.

After much research, and loads more prayer, I decided to be safe but to give the worry to God. Thankfully, even though my husband is in constant contact with people, none of us has gotten sick.

This were looking up.

Then my aunt Rhoda got sick. She had a relapse of cancer. The aunt who I talked to nearly every week, now didn't have the strength to talk for five minutes. She was miserable and the chemo wasn't working. So she made a decision. She wasn't going to spend the last little bit of her life sick just to extend the misery.

She passed away just after Christmas.

I know what you're thinking. "Oh my God, this is such a downer of a story!" I apologize for that. It is actually not the intension, nor the end of the story.

You see, this is a story of perseverance. It's a story to show you that no matter what, we simply have to go on and make the most of life. And that's what I'm doing.

Last month, I got so angry at myself for not finishing 'Wolf's Beautiful Beast' that I told myself I was getting it done. So much so that I booked my editor! I knew I had to get it done then, or I'd be out my deposit.

So, I spend many overnight writing sessions writing and editing, and writing and editing, and writing some more. Then it happened. I had finished it! While it had been nearly 4 years of writers block, I managed to finish it in a few weeks!

Now, I'm busy preparing for the release party that will take place on March 19 on Facebook!

The world is still crazy, and bad things seem to keep happening, but I managed to pull the positives out and not reflect on the negatives. I encourage you to do that in whatever situation life is throwing at you right now. Whether it's personal or professional, whatever is causing you worry and grief, find the silver lining and shine.