Laurel Snyder

Well, I have my last book event of the year on Saturday, with the Atlanta Writers’ Club. And when it’s over, I’ll climb into my car with my husband and two screaming kids, and drive to Baltimore, for latke frying and eggnog drinking and best friends and family…

I have to say that the last few years have been astounding, each more interesting and full than the last.  And this fall was a kind of wonderful/terrible insanity, a culmination. So busy I couldn’t believe it.  Trying to write one book, while promoting another, with only 8 hours of childcare a week was… well, it was kind of a mistake.  But everything was good, all of it so good, and I don’t know how I could have turned any of it down.

Besides,  that’s how we learn. Right?

And now here we are. It’s almost 2009.  I have something resembling a draft of the next book, and one coming out in May, as well as a few (secret) irons in the fire.  The kids are AMAZING, joyful and genius and beautiful beyond words.  And I know better how to find the time to do all of it from here on out.

By doing a little less, promising a little less, sleeping a little more. Breathing deeper. I’ve been practicing.

It’s a funny time we’re living in.  The world’s economies are melting, and I fear for many individuals.  But I also feel hopeful. I want to believe that we’re all learning right now.  I see everyone around me  clipping coupons and carpooling and pulling back, and breathing… and I think that’s good. I was raised to think that frugality was a  good thing.

And here,  at our house, we’re feeling frugal, but so so  lucky. Unbelievably lucky.  We have a house we can afford, jobs we don’t hate, each other, and these incredible children who challenge us daily and teach us constantly.  Deeply, I wish the same for you, in whatever it is you’re doing. The ability to breathe, to see all you have and feel lucky.  To be challenged and learning and trying and…

Alive.

Happy end-of-the-year, everyone.  It’s been a wild ride, this 2008 of ours.

What’s that curse?  May you live in interesting times…

Indeed.

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 18th, 2008 at 7:45 pm and is filed under Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.