“The one thing that you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only you can.”
—Neil Gaiman
TEDxToronto – Drew Dudley “Leading with Lollipops”
I am leading off my list of thankfuls this week with a story about lollipops.
I am thankful for a visit with family on a hard day.
Another year of summertime sadness comes around.
How does one provide solace? Flowers? A well written note? How about, a visit with a little baby?
There’s nothing like the sweet face of a baby to make people think of the good, but music playing and memories shared can also help.
I’m thankful for a long coffee/smoothie chat with a friend.
We speak at our writing group, but this was a nice chance to have a conversation, just the two of us.
I owed her a coffee for reading over my short story I recently submitted, but we ended up talking for very nearly three hours.
We talked about writing, cats, and our possibility of ending up the stereotypical old cat ladies someday.
It’s hard when you see family and friends, all coupling up, getting married, and starting families. It’s nice to speak to people who understand how it doesn’t all come so easily for some of us.
I’m thankful for feedback from an editor.
I was fearing my draft wasn’t what the editor wanted or expected, but she seemed happy with things, for the most part.
Could I work on the ending? Well, sure. I do appreciate feedback from an editor and that’s what I got.
Now to think how to end the piece. Hmm.
I’m thankful for a pleasant pitch surprise email.
I saw a call for pitches about the special relationship we have with our animals and I thought (since it’s ten years since my guide dog died) this would be the perfect time to write about her. I sent the pitch out the day before I left to visit the Yukon, more than a month ago. After a few weeks I didn’t think I was going to hear back. I figured the answer was a “no”.
I’d been expecting to hear from that first editor, but coming home to an email from this second one was such a welcomed surprise.
The subject matter is perfect and the pay is not bad at all either.
I’m thankful for a first successful conference call with people I know I’m going to learn from.
There were several of us calling in and it made it difficult to all get a chance to speak, not over each other either. Still, I think this will be good for me.
This organization gets together to discuss the topics that are relevant and might be of some interest.
Then we decide who’s going to write what. I offered to write a review for a book someone has written. I think I can handle that as my first assignment with VisionAware and I like reading and learning about self publishing.
Then I get to interview the writer. I think this will be an excellent opportunity for me to learn some editing skills and how to divide up work, to figure out who is the best person to write specific pieces.
Anyway, all of them seem like highly intelligent and curious people from many different walks of life. I can only benefit from that.
I’m thankful when the pain eases.
After two days of it, intense as it is, I can come out of it on the other side and view the rest of the pain I live with in a new light.
I can learn new lessons from the pain, even after all these years.
I’m thankful for another lovely talk with my neighbour.
We are almost forty years apart in age, but somehow we have arrived at this moment in time with similar outlooks on life, from some of the things we’ve both been through.
We both discussed what we know we deserve and the lessons we’ve had to learn, often the hard way, to arrive at this conclusion.
We are both on our own, sometimes uncertain whether we can do it, but that’s why I am glad we’ve found a friend in one another.
I’m thankful for a reminder of friendship.
It’s really one of those little Facebook friend reminders, but someone chose to share theirs with me.
Our first connecting online, then in person, but it all matters, adding up to the relationship of mutual respect we have today.
Sometimes, when I don’t get stuck reading the battles going on in comment sections of breaking news stories, I really do like Facebook. I like those I follow on it even more.
I’m thankful for a beautiful word from my mentor.
Sometimes, her words of advice or encouragement just completely blow me away.
I needed to hear those exact ones, as I prepare to work on the pieces I’m writing throughout the summer. I need to know other people have faith in me, then to build that faith in myself too. It is all necessary to believe I can do the work I have set out for myself.
I’m thankful for four years gone by.
Somewhere out there
are my family’s Angels.
Another year and my brother has graduated and is on his way into radio and so much more.
Think about organ donation. It isn’t the easiest thing to think about, but it matters to someone.
Here’s to all the lost angels, either from suicide or accidents. RIP and you are missed.
Her Headache 
That is great that your pitch went well. I love stories about the bond of humans and animals.
Yes. It was a pleasant surprise to me. I hope to do my pal Croche justice.
I love the quote at the beginning of your post, it is so important for each of us to realize that we have something unique and important to contribute, there is a reason we are here! I will have to read “Leading with Lollipops” later tonight, the title of this talk is intriguing!
Visits with families can soothe the deepest sadness, a call from either one of my kids is like sunshine pouring into my heart, and I know you feel that way about your family too, and most especially time with your precious little niece! Who can be sad when holding a happy baby? 🙂
I loved the long conversation with your writing group member, it is so nice to get to know someone new on a more personal level, she sounds like someone I would like, I am all for becoming crazy cat ladies, far worse things than that! LOL
It is hard to see friends and family coupling when you haven’t met the right one. My nephews are going through that now as their college friends are all getting married. It took my son until now to find his match and he is 38, but she was definitely worth waiting for. If it’s meant to be, it will happen at the right time, I promise! ❤ It is hard for me to see all my friends with adorable grandbabies and I may never have one, but I still have a good life and will be happy regardless.
I was delighted that you got a very positive response from your editor, that's definitely a rare occurrence and I know it will inspire you to find the perfect ending for your story! I LOVE that your pitch about your guide dog has been accepted too, things are definitely looking up for your writing career, and you deserve that!
Conference calls aren't always easy, so often there is a jumble of people trying to all talk at once, but it is a good learning experience and maybe you can get them to listen as well as talk. 🙂 I love to do interviews, and I suspect you'll be very good at that too!
I wish you didn't have those times of horrible pain to endure, but bravo for finding the silver lining of relief when it finally eases up. The bad always makes us appreciate the better so much more than we might otherwise.
Your perfect for you neighbor is surely no accident. Age really has very little to do with life experience and understanding, and it sounds like your journey's are at the perfect point to intersect. What a comfort to have someone close by that you can encourage and gain support from as well!
Facebook definitely has its plusses, and those friendship reminders, along with memories for a year or more ago, are great for showing us that we are blessed. I am learning to like people that I didn't care much for in years past, as I see new sides of them in our older years. That wouldn't happen without Facebook sharing.
It sounds like you are blessed with an awesome mentor, and that makes all the difference! Really, your entire post talks about people surrounding you in life that uplift, encourage, share, and care about you… so many blessings in that!
Are angels are always near us, connected with us still, even if we aren't always aware of it. We miss them terribly, and yes especially the ones lost unexpectedly to suicide or accident, in the end it will all be ok.
Papa Bear and I are registered organ donors, I think everyone should be, it's just selfish and silly to think you need to take those with you when someone can have a new chance at life if you donate! I watched a FB video recently of a mother listening to her son's heart beating in someone else, and I can only begin to imagine the joy that gave her… a life lost, but also a life saved. The perfect final gift of love!
Congrats to your brother, he is going to shine in life, just like his sister does! XOXO
I like to find the best quote to fit the theme of my post, wherever possible, to start things off. Glad you liked it and do check out Leading With Lollipops. It was illuminating.
This summer, as far as writing has gone, has been better than I ever could have hoped for. It’s the issue of keeping something like that going. I fear everything I write will, somehow, end up being my last. I know though that I have power in that. I am in charge of whether I write or don’t write, regardless of anyone agreeing to publish it or not. Support is always there for me and I swear that makes all the difference.
I am lucky to have friendships, next door, across town, and thousands of miles away, mostly made possible by online connections, Facebook included.
My brother is on his way with new things that I am so excited to share, when the time is right. All of that was made possible by some anonymous angel and that angel’s family. I don’t ever want to come across judgmental about how people should definitely agree to donate their organs, but I like to come at the issue from all sides, if I can do so.
Losing relatives to something as incomprehensible as suicide is hard, but life ends and begins in other places. That’s life I suppose.
Thanks for the kind words Josie.
ok lets see if I can get a comment to stick by this route*
(I had some good thoughts about the benefits of a supportive group of writers, this being such a strange pastime… but have forgotten the cool words. lol)
*thinking that it might be my computer at home connecting to my computer at work and coming here from there…
Ah, technology eh? Gotta love it.
I’m glad you wrote about your family’s angels. I had not previously read that post.
It sounds like you are have some wonderful experiences that can’t help but increase your writing skills and widen your base of associates, many who will probably become close friends as well.
Words of advice and encouragement from a mentor have the potential to help you achieve your goals.
There are really no age limits in friendships and that is a lovely thing to consider.
You have written another thought provoking post.
Not being bound by the limits of age. Exactly. Friendship has no age limit.