A delayed post from September...

Wrote this in mid-September and wanted to share it with you on the blog here.

Feeling a little introspective tonight, and just wanted to share this...

I'm in the process of reviewing the edits made by the publisher of my mom's book. For anyone who wasn't aware, her blog "Without a Manual" is being turned into a book - including her entries, a few special ones she wrote to include in the book, contributions from some very special people in her life, and the final chapter written by me.

Going through her entire time of writing (which ended up being almost four and a half years) has been emotional to say the least, and I'm just over halfway through. Reading her writing, however, makes me feel closer to her than I have since she passed. One minute she is making me cry, and the next I'm laughing out loud, much to the alarm of the two cats. It makes me feel like she's here with me again, talking to me through her writing.

It reminds me that as hard as it has been to lose her, I feel like the luckiest person in the world to have had to opportunity to love her and be loved by her. She's my role model, and I couldn't think of a better one. I'm so thankful to her for leaving this body of work behind, and I see it primarily as a gift to me. Any happiness it brings to others is just a bonus.

Basically, I just wanted to share how excited I am for this book to finally come to fruition (I know it's been a long time in the making, with many delays), and to share with you how much joy my mom has given me, even after her passing.

Thank you for continuing to check in on the blog, I'm hoping I'll have a solid date to give for the release of the book soon!

- Suzanna