Each January, because I blog on the first of the month, I
have the privilege and responsibility of ushering in a new year.
Sometimes I do so light heartedly. Other times, I’m more
introspective. This is a particularly emotional time because my mother,
internationally renowned ceramic sculptor Sylvia Hyman, died December 23 in
Nashville, Tennessee.
Although she was 95, she had been actively working in the
studio until early December, when she fell ill. A younger person might have
survived the series of infections and related ills that befell her, but she
wasn’t strong enough.
We live in a miraculous age when many of us, including me,
have survived ailments and complications that would have killed us off in an
earlier era. That’s assuming we hadn’t succumbed to any of a zillion
now-vanquished childhood illnesses. Still, losing our elders is painful, at any
age.
In my family, we’re grateful to have the older generation
still contributing to our lives. My stepfather turned 101 on December 24.
Today, January 1, we’re celebrating the eightieth birthday of my husband’s
stepmother.
So a new year dawns, filled with change and promise as our
family’s younger generation moves into the future. What a bittersweet reminder
of how temporary is the reality in which we live, and how precious.
Now for a more cheerful matter. Each month on my website, I
offer a special for readers. In case you've resolved to work on
your novel this year, I’m offering my ebook How to Write a Novel in One
(Not-so-easy) Lesson, for 99 cents through January 31. I hope it’s helpful.
May your new year be filled with happy surprises.
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