The Words of a Friend

Yesterday a friend reminded me of a very sweet memory. It was a few years back when I first made the decision to write books.  I had bits and pieces of a story that I had started and put down so many times that it became like a big jigsaw puzzle with lots of missing parts. We sat down at my kitchen table every day at 3:00 P.M. drinking tea, talking about the day, my children and my progress with the story.  She gave me encouragement and the occasional pep talk to keep going when the process got really lonely.

Together...we created a sweet memory.  That was a moment...frozen in time. To me life is made up of many moments...some wonderful, some sad and some that you would like to forget.  The point is that as long as it is something that you remember it has an effect in shaping your life. That is how writers shape their manuscripts and I feel blessed that I have so many interesting moments.

A few days ago, a sweet puppy named Romeo died very young.  Romeo blessed a lot of lives with his silly antics and his love of life.  He touched the hearts of all of us who loved him....just like my friend Jo touched my heart when we shared tea at the kitchen table.  If we had loved this puppy any less, his passing would mean nothing.  If I had forgotten my days drinking tea with my friend or not have enjoyed them so wholeheartedly... if would not be so engraved in my heart.

It's all about the passion. I try to make my characters memorable. They don't all have to be passionate about anything.  Sometimes a character can be more memorable because they are flatline. I will always be grateful for the memories that created them because it means that I am living my life with all the details....the funny ones, the happy ones and the even the sad ones.

Rest in peace sweet puppy.