Seeing this on a billboard the other day really brought me to tears. Yes, Dreams do not have an expiration date!! I had a dream 31 years ago to be a Children’s Book Author. Back then, after my daughter was born, I enrolled in a mail order course in becoming a children’s book author. Each week there were lessons, you read through the lesson and then you had to come up with a story. It needed to be typed (back then we used actual typewriters), double spaced, with carbon copies. Then you would put it into an envelope and mail it in to your instructor. It took about 4 weeks for that story to be returned with the instructor’s notes, edits and critique. By that time, I continued on with my lessons and turned in another 2 stories before I even received the first assignment back.

I had visions of grandeur, thinking that this first attempt would come back with praises and they would submit my story to the publishing house to have it published. Well, to my shock and yes even “horror,” the amount of edits, red marks, comments on all 4 sheets of paper made me shrivel up inside. I felt deflated. Thinking that I sucked, the story was bad and not worthy of being brought out into the world. I cried many tears. This was going to be my “profession”, this was going to be my gift to my newly born daughter. I was ready to throw in the towel. I did have two more stories that I submitted, so I was waiting to see what the instructor had to say about those before I even wrote another word or submitted another assignment. Much to my shock, they each had their own set of critiques and red marks. I was done. I threw in the towel. I put the stories with their scorching red marks in the binder of the assignments, and put them away.

Something made me keep them. I’ve moved 4 times and each time I was ready to throw them away, something deep inside of me said keep them. Even when I cleaned out my basement several times and moved this box that contained this long past writing, the inkling to keep them persisted.

Well, last year I decided to take them out. I typed the first story out into a Google Doc. I reread through the instructor’s comments and red marks again, but through new eyes. The eyes of taking it all in as constructive criticism and suggestions. To make this story better. Not from the eyes of unworthiness and self condemnation. I took each suggestion and applied it to the story as I was typing it in a Google Doc. How much easier it was to type on a computer…the backspace, the cut and paste, as well as the delete button and let’s not forget the autocorrect feature.

Once this was complete, I got the courage to read it aloud to one of my best friends, Lisa Fitzgerald. She closed her eyes as she listened to my voice reading the tale. When I was finished, she sat there quietly for a moment. She replied that that was an amazing story and that I should have it published. I wasn’t sure how to respond. That girl 31 years ago came out thinking “really?” she’s saying that because she’s my best mate. The person I am now, took it as gold. I really took in her words. It is good.

I read it aloud to another one of my friends, Clare Dash, and unbeknownst to me the next day in my FaceBook DM, she posted two mini paintings of the two rabbits from the story. Oh my goodness, it literally brought me to tears. Just from hearing the story, she created the two characters in the book. She brought the story to life. She allowed me to see it in reality. The book then and there became real for me. We spoke at length and she became my illustrator for this book.

The next chapters of this book coming into fruition was immense and a do-si doe of sorts. It went from being in a Google Doc to going to an editor to make the necessary changes and check the spelling, punctuation, and grammar as well as making sure the story made sense. So, a Big Thank you to Marie O’Rourke. Then the story moved on to a publisher, Myrna James, to put the pages together with the illustrations. Sentence length to picture ratio. Then, onto Atlas Elite Publishing for the final leg of the book launch. The layout, the choosing of fonts (oh my goodness, if you don’t know…the millions of fonts to choose from…there are adult fonts, there are children fonts, and even fonts for persons with dyslexia – now you know).

The back cover illustration and then the synopsis of the book to place on the back cover. Onto Amazon and Ingram for the upload of the book. Thank you to Dar and Tom for putting up with me and all of my questions, submissions, changes, and the “I don’t know, this is my first rodeo” so I’ll have to get back to you when I can make a choice. The both of you were so kind, supportive, and understanding of my learning curve. You made this seem easy.

Whew, what a year. Personal growth yes, overcoming obstacles? Yes. Being willing to learn new things? Yes. Being willing to ask for help? Yes. Being willing to be vulnerable? Yes. Being willing to show up? Yes. Being willing to be visible and share this story with others? Yes. Pampering that little girl on the inside quaking in fear of being rejected? Yes. Having a Sisterhood network surrounding me, holding my hand, encouraging me, staying the course? Yes. Having Dixie Gillaspie as my 1:1 personal coach? Yes. Having the perfect people show up to assist in this amazing project? Yes. Staying focused on my why? Yes. (My why is to gift this to my daughter and to my two grandchildren – leaving a legacy) Having my book entered into the Library of Congress? Yes. Keeping this a secret from my daughter and grandkids to keep it as a surprise? Yes. This is still the hardest part. The secret is going to be let out of the bag soon. They will be the first to see the book, then I will share it out into the world. I then can breathe a big sigh of relief.

I did it.

My dream of 31 years has come to fruition. It didn’t die. It just held on to be released when the perfect time for the dream to unfold.

I’m ready.

My children and grandchildren are ready.

The world is ready.

You can purchase Helping a Friend HERE.