Starting Over
And Murder for Dessert
I’m happy to welcome Kathleen Delaney, author of
And Murder for Dessert, as guest blogger today. Kathleen is the author of several mysteries who found herself facing an almost insurmountable hurdle a year ago. Here, she shares with us the story of what happened to her and how she has come to terms with it.
It’s been almost exactly a year since it happened. The absolutely last thing in the world I would ever have imagined. I started out for Georgia, looking forward to spending some time with my daughter and my grandkids and to all the Thanksgiving festivities we had planned. Instead I ended up in the hospital and returned home, minus my left leg, right before Christmas. Talk about starting over.
There were times when I really didn’t think I could do it. How could I learn to walk again, drive, wash dishes, at the age of 73? I was too old to start over. Only that isn’t true. I’m doing everything, driving all over the country, going to the Y to exercise, having my family here for Thanksgiving and doing all the cooking, and probably a lot of the dishes. And I’m writing. I’m even starting a new series. Now, that’s starting over.
When I look back, I’ve started over constantly. Like everyone of us, there have been chapters in my life when the change I faced was joyous. Like having my first child. Talk about a life changer. Others were a lot harder, like the death of someone you love, or getting divorced. But you don’t give up. You start over.
But we start over in small ways as well. As I put on my leg this morning, (doesn’t that sound strange) I thought about all the times in my writing life that I’ve started over. When the book stunk, I’ve started over. When the next chapter just wouldn’t come, I’ve gone back to the beginning and started over. And when I got rejected by the agent I really wanted to work with, or my manuscript came back from the umpteenth publisher, I’ve started over. I may have cried a little, or cursed a lot, but eventually I’ve started over. Again.
So, for all you out there with a drawer full of rejection slips, don’t despair. Take another look at that manuscript, see if you can make it better, then get out the list of agents who handle your genre, check off the ones who said no, or take another look at the publishers who will look at unsolicited manuscripts, take a deep breath, now another, and start again. You can do it. I know you can. Remember, the settlers at Jamestown did it. They started over when only a handful of them were left. And then they went out celebrated their good fortune, which consisted of the fact that they were still alive and finally had something to eat, with the first Thanksgiving. So, think about what you have to be thankful for. You’ve had your flu shot, the refrigerator is full, and you don’t have to pluck the feathers off the turkey. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
November 25, 2009
Posted in: Guest Blogs
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10 Responses
It’s great to see a member of our Carolina Conspiracy group on this blog. Kathleen is such an inspriation to all of us. I hope this Thanksgiving and Christmas turns out to be the best you’ve had, Kathleen.
Best,
Lynette
An inspirational post! Many thanks.
Brava, Kathleen– you are an inspiration and a reminder that perseverance is a wonderful thing.
Thanks, Kathleen. I needed to hear this. I’m thankful for my legs and in awe of your courage and determination.
Truer words for a writer were never spoken, Kathleen. Many thanks for reminding us that starting over is not necessarily a bad thing, once we find the courage.
There is something to be said for being a “half-glass-full” person when all seems lost. We don’t always recognize it as such in the beginning, but when we look back, the road signs are there.
What an inspiring post on Thanksgiving Day. Thank you so much. I’ll have a little more to be thankful for today.
Just exactly what we all need to hear this day of thanksgiving. We all have much to be thankful for. Thank you, Kathleen, for this wonderful post.
Marilyn
Kathleen, I used to tell myself to put on my big girl panties and deal with stuff. From now on, I’ll tell myself to “put on my leg.” You certainly made me realize how silly most of my concerns are. Thanks for the Thanksgiving lesson in gratitude.
You are, indeed, an inspiration, Kathleen. Thank you for telling your story!
Wow. Thank you for sharing this. Your site is wonderful. You are indeed inspiring. We all must start over in so many ways all the time, large and small. You put that into painful, beautiful perspective. Again, thank you. Martha
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