"Hope is the thing with feathers ..."
Can you see the crows perched in the branches of the trees, above, so thick they almost look like black leaves? Less hopeful, perhaps, than ominous, but extremely compelling. We stood and watched them for ages last night. (Click on the photo to see in full.)
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Two things I needed, this morning:
1. I needed sleep. And sleep was received, sound and deep, all through the night. I chose not to set my alarm and wake early.
2. I also needed this (though I didn't know it): a hand-delivered card from the book club I visited on Monday evening. "Fortune befriends the bold" - Emily Dickinson, is printed on the front of the card. I opened it and read the handwritten message inside and sat on the floor and almost cried. It's the little things, isn't it. The small gestures that go such a long way toward giving a person that necessary spark. I needed a little spark this morning, as I slog through the manuscript one last time, and hope for the best.
"We were grateful for the opportunity to hear you read; to hear how stories are born in the writer's imagination; and then, the hard work needed to share that creation with the reader.
"We joked about becoming your fan club, but, in fact, a book club is a fan club of sorts. We celebrate words on the page and we appreciate the courageous few who choose writing as their life work.
"How fortunate we are for your willingness to share your gift with us."
Thanks to all the book clubs who have bravely and warmly welcomed this writer in. You may not know it, but I consider it a gift, too, to be able to share what I've got.Labels: book club, confessions, sleep, spirit, tired, work, writing