Best of Times, Worst of Times
I feel like I’m in the middle of my own personal Tale of Two Cities. Only it’s not two cities, it’s the incredibly good and the very difficult. I can’t remember a year I’ve had like this one. On one hand, some amazingly good things have happened. I’ve shared a lot of that with you on this blog. I’ve also shared some of the difficulty. #amwriting #bestworstoftimes
The fantastic good stuff included finding my “Biologicals” –– my sisters, a couple aunts and a cousin or two. That––and re-connecting with the family I grew up with.
And realizing I have incredible long-term friends…too many to post here on this blog. I’m still connected on Facebook with two of my college roommates. I find that remarkably wonderful. Cheri and Dorothy––thanks.
Meghan’s Choice, my first novel, will be published in about three months, I’m guessing. The idea came in 2012. The first draft was written in 2013. She’s undergone major and minor revisions ever since––until now––I think she’s ready. I can’t wait to see her in print.
I have some upcoming conferences scheduled for this year that I hope will be outstandingly wonderful for me. I’m going for different reasons this year than at other times. ACFW, Advanced Novelist Retreat, VOA and the Ohio Christian Writers’ Conference––all those conferences will keep me busy this Fall, from late September until early November. I’ll be traveling to Dallas, Asheville, and Ohio. VOA is local for me. Three of those are writers’ conferences. One is for spiritual enrichment.
Then, there’s been the hard stuff this year. In the midst of the wonderful, has been the difficult physical challenges…the flu twice, then the teeth problems, which are ongoing. When one thing seems taken care of, another problem springs up.
One thing I’ve learned––praise in the middle of the pain. Before getting this second tooth extracted two weeks ago, I had horrific pain for five hours the night before. I’d never had an extended time of pain like that before. But I immediately began to run a praise song through my head…through my sobs…through my rolling back and forth on the sofa, trying to work through it. I couldn’t even watch TV that night. The distraction didn’t help, only made it seem worse.
I would sometimes change songs in my head. I couldn’t always sing it out. “It is Well” –– the new version, “The Joy of the Lord” –– Twila Paris version, and a chorus ran through my mind. Sometimes I would speak out the words…cry out the words. Click on the song titles to watch them on YouTube.
The pain didn’t leave, but I got through it. Somehow. With God’s help. And only God’s help. Have a blessed and wonderful week, y’all. #amwriting #bestworstoftimes
Donna L.H. Smith 