Well, I didn’t make it.

Didn’t finish my first draft by my self-imposed deadline of June 30, 2023. However, I’m not beating myself up, as I usually do when I fall short of my goals, because I did accomplish quite a lot of important “stuff”. 

I helped care for my aged parents, both of whom were hospitalized during late May and June. And when they’re in the hospital, I’m in the hospital. There have been cardiac rehab sessions, scheduling dr. appointments, printing photos from Daddy’s digital camera, searching for and finding that lost digital camera, orthopedist appointments…you get the picture. None of that is a burden. As I tell my parents over and over, “I’ve got lots of friends who’d give anything to be able to take their parents to the doctor.” So, not a burden, just time consuming. 

I helped Hays and Meg, my son and his fiancé, with wedding planning and details. Again, not a burden, rather a treat to be asked to help.

I worked out twice a week with my fabulous certified trainer, Hays McEachern.

I planned escapes for my family and for Randy and me, to Colorado, to France, to Colorado again. 

I worked through a week of extreme anxiety, where I couldn’t find peace and couldn’t stop thinking about friends with cancer, ailing parents, not finishing my first draft, finding a dress and shoes for the wedding, not working out more often, not unpacking the boxes in my garage, four years after our move. Prayer, meditation, deep breathing, reading the Bible, blogging, talking it over with  friends and my mother and my children …all these practices finally wore that anxiety monster down.

I drank less tequila. Most of the time.

And I have been pretty consistent with my blog posts, so I have been writing. I thank all of you for the encouragement and support and humor you’ve sent my way. Sending your stuff out into a void is a lonely feeling, and your responses have helped inspire me to keep writing. 

So I’m not beating myself up, I’m just adjusting my time line. I’m reminding myself of what my brother Jeff says (repeatedly), “Perfect is the enemy of good.” And, I hold onto this message from James Clear: 

“Be great in small ways. 

Writing 100 words today doesn’t seem worthwhile when you see people publishing bestsellers. 

Exercising for 10 minutes doesn’t seem valuable when you see world records posted on Instagram. 

But winning the next 10 minutes is its own form of greatness. 

People are so busy wishing for more time and better resources that they fail to make the most of the time and resources they have. Be great in small ways and you may be surprised by what you've achieved within a year or two." 

Thanks for sticking with me in this journey.