No doubt about it… Writing this book was far more challenging than I ever expected! There were days when I thought I was crazy to have started it, regardless of all the promises I made about getting it done. The energy it takes to go back in time and recount so many details can be exhausting, not to mention quite tense at times. Sometimes, I would just get up and do something in the house, you know, find something to take me away from writing or rather from having to go down the path of memory I needed to get into.
Yet, the moment I would begin to type, things would suddenly flow through me and I would write for hours upon hours. Emotions, all emotions had to be felt again. Good, bad or indifferent. I could feel them all. Recounting some of them required me to allow myself to feel in that moment again. It was a bit unnerving at first because I wasn’t sure how I would handle bringing some unsettling memories back to the forefront again. I became a pro at ‘letting go’ and moving onwards in my life. I’m not one to dwell on the past – especially negatives. But the only way I could write my life’s story was to be as open as possible with facts, with my truths.
And then there were times where I would actually burst out in laughter recalling some really stupid moments. My editor, Barbara Ireland, applied her lifetime experience in editing for NY Times to help select what worked best at keeping my storyline clear. I can muddle things once I get going with sharing stories. Humor has always been my favorite emotion. I suppose because with laughter comes great tension relief. All’s well because I will be able to share more with laughter going forward!
