Unexpected Gifts

When I received a publishing contract for my memoir, Naked at The Helm: Independence and Intimacy in the Second Half of Life at the age of 85, I was delighted, thrilled, amazed… and quickly overwhelmed. I had spent years, with the help of multiple teams of talented helpers, crafting an autobiography and then growing it into a memoir that I hoped could be of value to other women looking to define their own independent, yet joyfully interconnected, journeys.

Now there was the “business side” of writing to attend to--creating a website, building a social media presence (Facebook? Instagram? Twitter?!), working with my publisher She Writes Press, and finding the right PR team for me and my book.

The creative journey continues, and I find that more than ever, the creative connections I have made-–the people who support me--are the unexpected gifts that make the whole thing worthwhile. Sharing my story, Dancing Heart Emoji, with warm audiences at Diesel: A

Bookstore and Warwick’s La Jolla? Magical. Having the opportunity to eulogize my dear friend Jonah by telling our short but sweet story? So fitting that it seems like whole universe

conspired to make things happen in just this way. Creating tip sheets, acknowledgments, and final edits for my publisher? Helps me to remember, to realize anew, how very much I have cherished and indeed relied on friends, colleagues, and colleagues who became friends (too many to mention--that’s what the book is for!) who bring their insights, sparkle and smarts to my life.

The holidays are a notoriously busy time, and you probably have something you need to run off and do! I will finish this first blog post with a heartfelt thank you for being here. Your support is the unexpected gift I will cherish most this season. My wish for you, the party favor I hope you’ll take away? Unexpected gifts, large and small, of friendship and family galore.

Love,

Suzanne