On Joy…

Summer’s been kicking my ass.
In a good way. A really good way. Vacations and family time. Summer reading and cocktails. Delivering a new book in a series and scrambling to get the word out about my newest release. Boys demanding to be fed constantly and my house trashed on a daily basis. It’s a lot but it’s all good.
Of course, my blog suffers a bit, and I promised to be on a more regular schedule so I do apologize my peeps.
When I was at the beach I composed this blog in my head, so I hope some of the words made it back home. I was watching my boys play in the surf at the beach. Every mother enjoys watching their children, especially during happy moments, but I was struck almost like a lightning bolt at the sheer joy on my boys’ faces as they jumped waves and fell in the sand, laughing and running around in pure freedom. I looked out at the horizon, blue sky and fluffy clouds, feet curled in the hot sand, gritty on my skin and my tongue, and thought to myself, “This is everything.”
And it was. That moment. I savored each precious second and drowned myself in the pleasure. This type of pleasure is so fleeting, we miss it too much. When I looked around, I realized most of the people on the beach were also paying attention. I’m so used to seeing everyone with heads bent over their phones, caught up in the world of their own making and trapped in social media land. I love it too, but there’s a place for it. And when we’re too busy posting or texting the moment to actually enjoy the moment, we may need to step back.
I thought about the joy of holding my book in my hands. All or Nothing At All releases on Tuesday. It was a hard book to write, with four complete drafts and a lot of whining, crying, anger, and finally, writing. The last book in a series is bittersweet. I love this book I created. It’s rich with emotion and story and I forgot how important it is to take a step back and savor the joy of realizing your book is published and being read by people other than your family. It’s intoxicating. Too many times, I’m rushing so hard to the goal line of writing another book, I forget to give myself a bit of room and pride for the one I released. I forget to think over the series that I finished and what I brought to the world –these stories that intermingled and arced together to make a perfect puzzle.
Whether it’s work, family, or play, joy can be a quiet thing that is ready to be recognized at any time; or come at you like a fire burst, shattering in waves and sparks around you, begging you to look up and SEE.

I hope everyone is enjoying summer and basking in whatever joy you may find in your life.
Oh, and don’t forget to order All or Nothing At All.
That will bring me great joy LOL!