Wednesday, August 27, 2014

A Bittersweet Celebration

For those of you who have been living under a rock these past few months *chuckles*, this Friday, my very first book is coming out. It is something I've been dreaming of for a very long time. While I am so excited and, I'll admit, a little nervous, I also can't help but be a little sad.

You see, last Friday I lost someone who was very dear to me. My grandfather. We weren't related by blood or even by marriage, but from the moment I met him nearly twenty years ago, that's what he was to me. Through the years, he taught me so much. That it was okay to eat ice cream before dinner, the correct way to eat milk and cookies, how the act of giving can be way more rewarding then the actual getting. He was a loving, generous, amazing man who loved spoiling his family, especially during Christmas. He loved spending time with his three grandchildren and his great-granddaughter, who he called his Tater, and it wasn't unusual for him to send one of us home with a huge bag of some kind of treats. He loved and was loved so profoundly.

So when Friday comes, of course I'm going to be ecstatic about my "baby" finally being published. But deep down, I will be sad that my wonderful grandfather won't be here to celebrate with me. I won't be able to hear him say how proud he is of me or even how his little Tater is. But I do know that he is watching over us, smiling and so proud of us.

So this is for you, Popaw Jimmy. Always on my mind and in my heart. <3