Several years ago, my friend Carol B. told me not to submit my manuscript unless it was my best work. Today, she said I'm ready. I followed her into her kitchen and told her that above all the comments I'd heard in the past few years, hers was the one that I kept foremost in my mind. I knew all along that I could not submit something incomplete or unpolished. I wrapped my arms around her and told her I loved her. She said, "You know I haven't written much of anything since Fred died, but you've inspired me."
The group loved the introductory chapter. In fact, I was blushing and near tears when I heard their praise for the chapter, the book, and my tenacity. It's not something they do readily. In fact, never. Twenty-nine years we've been together and they are the most loyal and devoted group ever, not just to me but to each other and our creative processes. This book never would have happened without their support, encouragement and critical eyes.
They helped me tremendously with the conclusion, too. I had already decided yesterday to dump everything I wrote this past week. It just didn't measure up and seemed too small considering the breadth of the project. Their experiences informed their recommendations. I wrote furiously as Sarah and Carolyn kept firing key questions at me. Valerie always makes connections and thinks of concepts to explore. Every observation was so insightful. They want me to focus on the big picture, on what I've learned on my journey and why other teachers would want to do this.
It's been an exhilarating day and a tumultuous week. My cold is better, but I spent the day with a migraine. Steve started sniffling tonight right on schedule. But, those are small matters because my heart is nearly bursting. Colin and April are happily settling in. They have a new car, a new sofa and their furniture is arriving tomorrow. They found a ramen shop, a coffee house and a Korean barbecue near Colin's work. In a few days, my book will be done. All is right in my world.
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