Happy Book Birthday!
Many memories involve celebrations of milestones, like birthdays and anniversaries. A dear friend and her husband recently celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary with a quiet trip to a remote cabin. Then, there are the elaborate events that contrast with the simple ones. A childhood friend celebrated her sweet 16 with a party in a restored train. My grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary recalled their wedding reception.
Regardless of size or location, the best remembrances are those involving someone we love. Christmas comes to mind, of course, as well as my children’s birthdays and graduations and my daughter’s wedding. I still smile when I remember an ice skating party for my eight year old and the delight my five year old expressed when she first saw her birthday cake that I decorated with Dalmations.
Journeys Book Launch
Today is a different milestone: my first book birthday! Last year, on July 13, St. John’s Press and I launched my spiritual RV travel memoir, Journeys with a Tin Can Pilgrim: from corporate lawyer to Airstream nomad, finding joy in everyday life. So much has happened since then! First of all, I never thought I’d be an author. God keeps uncovering the talents He has given me and asking me to use them. It is never too late in life to find who you are meant to be or what you can achieve with Him.
Media and More Books
Thanks to the book publication, I’ve been on Ave Maria Radio, television programs in the Dioceses of Rockville Center and Brooklyn, and spoken at campgrounds and churches, including as the keynote speaker for the annual meeting banquet of the Savannah Diocese Council of Catholic Women, and Airstream rallies. I’ve learned how to do podcast interviews, such as the one hosted by my camper friend Charlie Grace and the inspiring Becoming Your Best Version a law school classmate now hosts. I’ve even performed poetry in coffee bars and at campgrounds. Recently, I published a poetry book, In Plain Sight Hidden, and an Airstream Travels Coloring Book for adults and older children.
Grace
Did I imagine I’d be writing books, performing poetry, or sharing my drawings with others? Never! Yet, life is full of surprises. If someone had told me a decade ago that I’d be living and traveling in an RV and talking with people about God’s love for them, I would have wondered what they were smoking. When you are open to what God wants for you, He gives you more than you realize. I’ve grown to love the nomadic life He invited me to embark upon nearly four years ago. I’ve learned to trust Him even more and to be more confident in listening to others. It’s delightful to meet people, make new friends, and help invite them to grow in their relationship with God.
So, while this is a Happy Birthday to my Journeys with a Tin Can Pilgrim book, it is also a moment to reflect and give thanks for the many challenges and blessings found in this new life. May your life too be blessed with celebrations of the milestones that mark your road to becoming who you are meant to be as a child of God.
A Gift for You
Since birthdays involve gifts, I’m marking down my price on Amazon this week by $5.00 for Journeys with a Tin Can Pilgrim to encourage you to buy the paperback or e-book as a gift for yourself or others in your life. Happy book birthday!
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