Anticipation

I am at a stage in life where a month without a major event is not the norm. December was no exception. My son chose that month to be married. Both he and his fiance were working and going to school so it was a crazy time. We decided to switch responsibilities for a variety of reasons and I was in charge of the reception. With the wedding a week before, I figured I had time to pull it together at the last minute.

After a beautiful ceremony and as soon as they left for their honeymoon, I was scrambling to get ready. One morning I woke up at 4 am to start making 600 cookies and by evening that was checked off my list. When the ingredients for our hot chocolate bar were not available, I was saved by the in-laws who had the foresight to purchase the needed supplies before the holidays. All my time, between work and doing things with the family, was taken up with getting through the list.

What really made it possible was the people around me who pitched in and helped. My sister came to the rescue as usual. On the day of the reception she showed up early and we started hauling stuff to the cultural hall to pull it all together. Not long afterwards my friend and her husband came and started decorating the ceiling. Another friend provided trees and lights. My husband was in charge of the sound system and a variety of other duties. My daughter put together an amazing video and she and her husband did the centerpieces. My sons moved tables and chairs and helped where needed. At the start of this process my friend (who once had a wedding business) asked me what my vision was and since I didn't have a clue, she directed the transformation. The result was magical.

As we waited for people to arrive I had a feeling of anticipation, wondering if anyone would show up during the busy holiday season. Would all our work be rewarded with others to share it with? That answer turned out to be YES--the evening was full of many joyful moments with family and friends. As we took down everything, that just hours before we had put up, I was grateful for the memories of that day.

It is now another month with another major event. Valerie Harmon and I have just published our sixth Kindle book, The T-Rex Who Wanted to Be a Long Neck. And as with other milestones, we couldn't have done it without the help of others. I am once again in that moment of anticipation--hopeful that our work will be shared with many. It is about a T-Rex with a terrible temper who realizes that he needs to change. We have a free promotion on Amazon this Saturday, so take the opportunity to get the book and share it with your child. As always, we love to get reviews!

My next big event in February--the coming of my first grandchild!