Sleep well, Lizzie

My first published book was Dancing With Dementia: Recognizing and Coping with the Early Stages of Dementia.

The star of the book is Lizzie. I used an alternate name for Mom to protect her privacy but the stories in the book are all real.

Lizzie was a firecracker - from her early days growing up in Scotland throughout WWII to her time in a local nursing home where she was often the highlight of the day for many people.

Dementia is a cruel and nasty disease. The last few weeks have been difficult for Lizzie as she mostly lost contact with the world around her. She was put into palliative care and fell into a peaceful sleep. She passed away Monday morning without experiencing any pain.

Lizzie was known for her sense of humour, her adventurous spirit, her oh-so-colourful language, and her big heart. We will miss her sass, her spunk, and her stories.

Sleep well, Lizzie. Sleep well.

IWSG & Words

The Insecure Writer's Support Group is the brainchild of Alex J. Cavanaugh. He, his clones, minions, friends, and fellow authors make it an amazing event every month.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!    

January 4 question - Do you have a word of the year? Is there one word that sums up what you need to work on or change in the coming year? For instance, in 2021 my word of the year was Finish. I was determined to finish my first draft by the end of the year. In 2022, my word of the year was Ease. I want to get my process, systems, finances, and routines where life flows with ease and less chaos. What is your word for 2023? 

Love this question!

2020 was the first year I chose a word. I decided I would take the big step and start publishing my books. My word that year was RISK.

In 2021, I chose FORWARD. In 2022, I kept the same word, FORWARD.

Since 2020, I've been living outside my comfort zone. Putting books out in the world is terrifying!!! For 2023, I want to keep stepping forward, keep risking, keep trying new things. I've signed up for one course with that in mind.

But, I also want to keep sinking into Me. For the first few years of this writing gig, I assumed that my way was wrong because it seemed like everyone else was doing it differently. (Everything from ideas to drafting to revising to genre to publishing to marketing). I'm learning to believe the advice I've given my students over the years: Follow your gut, listen to your heart, keep your mind open.

So for 2023, I think I'll choose BRAVE.

I want to be brave enough to follow my own path. Brave enough to learn and to try new things. Brave enough to reach out for opportunities. Brave enough to say No when things aren't right for me or when my plate is already overflowing.

How about you? What new things are you wanting to try this year? Is saying No difficult for you as well? Are you going to be brave with me?