Thankful
I didn’t know what I was getting into.
Exactly a year ago, on Thanksgiving 2009, I revealed my super secret “creative project” to my family. Up until that day, Embrace the Detour was just a figment of my imagination. Yes, I owned the domain name and yes, I had paid someone to design the site (back then, I knew exactly nothing about HTML and the ins and outs of Wordpress), but since no one knew about ETD, I could pretend it didn’t exist.
But I didn’t want to. Not back then, anyway. Shot through with third trimester pregnancy hormones, I was raring to go. I didn’t want to wait until Lil Mil arrived. Eager to convince myself (and everyone else) that I COULD DO THIS! I started working on my first post (which, I’ll admit, took me over a week to write).
While certainly supportive, my family had mixed feelings about this creative project of mine. Husband in particular was lukewarm. He was excited that I was excited, but at the same time, he was worried that I was taking on too much.
I was.
Of course at the time I didn’t realize that. I honestly believed that I could write — and finish! — a novel in the first three months of my baby’s life, and I said as much on my Because page. Believe me, if I’d known how incredibly hard the undertaking would prove to be, I never would’ve made such a grand (and public) pronouncement.
Thank God I didn’t know.
By the time I realized what I’d signed up for, it was too late. There were too many people watching and, even more than that, too many people telling me to give up. It was too much, they said.
They were right, of course, but I refused to accept that. So I kept at it. Kept juggling. Kept struggling. Kept writing.
Three months turned into 100 days. My definition of “draft” morphed into something more manageable. My blog posts became less frequent.
But I kept at it. Kept juggling. Kept struggling. Kept writing.
And today, one year after this blog was born and 10 months and 8 days after my baby was born, I have a completed novel to show for it. And! On top of that, I have something unexpected. A community. This community. Friends! Not the fake, we-met-over-the-Internet kind, but the real, live, we-met-over-the-Internet kind. Friends like Rachel of MWF Seeking BFF (who I met in person two weeks ago and am now obsessed with. Rachel, if I move to Chicago can I please be your BFF?)
Thank God for unrealistic expectations. Thank God for this blog and the book that came out of it. Thank God for the baby who’s made all the juggling and struggling worthwhile. Thank God for the boy who is juggling and struggling with me, holding my hand while I do it.
And thank God for you, my friends.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Jen @ Momalom
Tuesday, 7 December, 2010 at 9:44Congrats! You are an inspiration. And I know completely what you mean about “Thank god I didn’t know!” That is such a (secret) truth of so much of parenting.
Alisa@Keep Calm And Have A Cupcake
Wednesday, 1 December, 2010 at 20:32Thank YOU for inspiring me to start my own blog. Looking forward to the next chapter.
And CONGRATS on the completed novel.
Rachel@MWF Seeking BFF
Wednesday, 1 December, 2010 at 15:14Um, can you PLEASE move to Chicago and be my BFF??? I definitely think of you as a real-life we-met-over-the-Internet friend…
So excited to follow along on the next chapter of your journey.
Gale @ TDT
Wednesday, 1 December, 2010 at 14:30Love, love the candor of this post. You were brave to make such a bold goal. And you were brave to let your deadline slip in favor of more important things.
kim
Wednesday, 1 December, 2010 at 5:44You are amazing.
So happy for you!
Sad we won’t be able to be with you to decorate the tree.
Is lil walking yet?
xoxo, mimi
Amy
Monday, 29 November, 2010 at 9:06Yay, congrats to you! Happy Thanksgiving!
Rudri
Saturday, 27 November, 2010 at 13:03Lauren,
Congrats to you. Happy Belated Thanksgiving!
Privilege of Parenting
Thursday, 25 November, 2010 at 22:24All Good Wishes for creativity and gratitude combined. Namaste
Lindsey
Thursday, 25 November, 2010 at 7:32Congratulations!!! What an accomplishment. I’m grateful to have met you. xox
Meika
Thursday, 25 November, 2010 at 7:23Congrats on finishing your book! I knew you could do it!
Katie
Thursday, 25 November, 2010 at 6:58Love you hon! Way to go! We knew you could do it.
And we’re grateful for you, too.