I'm Getting Ready

There have only been a hand few of times in my life when I felt like I was getting ready for something big, wedding days and giving birth are givens. The times I am talking about are those rare life altering moments when you can't see what you are getting ready for, but rather it's something you feel. I feel it like a freight train coming right at me. The book is going into imposition soon which means it will be made into a book I can hold in my hand. After careful inspection of the publishing company and myself it will get approved and go up for sale. For me that is when the real work of the book will begin. I love to write. I love to look up facts and do research for writings and jot down notes, quotes and ideas. I love word maps, outlines and my personal hieroglyphics that I create along the way. Writing for me is not work. That is the thing when others have said "My job doesn't feel like work" for the first time in my life I get it. I guess, it's my aha moment.
Marketing the book , on the other hand, will be work for me only in the aspect that I have to keep track of figures and schedules and stuff. I have kept four kids on track with sports, band, choir, school and church, so in some ways this won't be that different. Maybe it won't be so hard after all.
I am going to be doing small speaking engagements or book parties for the release of the book. I am looking forward to that most of all. I love people. As much as I love to write in my bathrobe, I love to go out and meet people. Hand shaking and hugs are right up my alley. I love other people's stories of triumph over tragedy. I love humanity at it's finest and at it's most vulnerable. The time that I will have to go out and meet people and sign my book will be the highlight of my life to be sure.
The book is almost here. I can't imagine how I will feel when I can hold it in my hand, smelling the newly printed pages, running my fingers over the spine and clutching it close to my heart. I am sure my first reaction will be screaming, jumping up and down while running around like a maniac. The next thing I will do is call Mike if he isn't home. Then he and I will jump up and down together. I'll run to the neighbors and show them my first born written child. I will call my mother where more dancing and jumping will ensue. Frantic calls will go out to the children who will celebrate with me my new career. I will burn more calories in that single day than I have in the last 5 years. In the calm of the night long after everybody else is sick of my everlasting talk about the book, I will sit in the quiet and just hold the book. I will pay homage to the life's experience contained in the pages and reflect on the amount of time it represents. I am sure it will be in the stillness of the moment that I will surrender myself and allow the tears of joy to come. I will cry for the painful lessons I had to learn in order to grow into myself, I will cry for the miracles I have witnessed in my life, and I will cry knowing that dreams really do come true. My only thought after the tears have ceased to flow is how happy I am to have remembered to carry Kleenex in my sleeve, so as not to get the book wet.

Something big is definitely coming, I'll be ready, Kleenex and phone in hand.