Surprise, surprise, surprise!!!

I'm struggling with the title of this post; don't want to come off as a know-it-all, a fabulous someone writer who's ARRIVED, and therefore, no longer needs the unwashed masses, because truly, seriously, someone previously unknown to me, handed me a break.

And I never expected it. And I'm not sure I even deserve it.

Oh my gosh, no, I didn't see this thing coming.

So, to cut to the chase,  a friend suggested to his friend who was writing a book at the time, that he should contact me to edit or give the manuscript a look over or whatever. My expectations were, when I was contacted, that I would be the unnamed, unknown editor, happily, I would stay behind the scenes and just help this manuscript on to be published and no big deal to me. I was happy and pleased to help. I was content to stay in the background and allow the real writer, the person this experience happened to, to write the book.

But. Isn't life funny with the "buts?" I often say, "We plan and God laughs." Because He does!!! No joke.

So, I worked the first 25 or so pages, sent it back to the author and he responded and said, "Would you consider co-authoring this book?" My first reaction was, "No, no, this is your story, no, I cannot take any credit for this." We worked awhile longer together and he again said, "Would you consider being a co-author?" I again resisted. But, he persisted; he told me to give it some thought, and eventually, I gave in. And here is my news, I am going to be the co-author of someone's book.

I never thought I would work a project such as this. He is a Christian author; I am not. Now, I do understand the thoughts and feelings he puts out there in his manuscript and I can go with it. I understand being the last kid picked for kickball. I understand being held as different by my peers. I understand being excluded because of religious perceptions, and so knowing that kind of hurt, I can write about it. Maybe this book is cathartic for the both of us. The writing is coming to me easily; there must be a reason for that.

The photo I posted is beautiful, nebulous, everything about writing that writing is meant to be. It's an example of what I'm feeling right now; the bursting of excitement, the thrill of doing what I want to do with  my life; the dimensions and color of hope and expectation; but it's the feeling of certainty too, of fulfilling a purpose, my life's purpose.

Whereever this book thing came from, it came from a providence that I am only beginning to get to know. I am astounded, eternally grateful, and very, very pleased. I so miss my mother right now; because I would have told her about this; we would have talked for a very long time, and she would be so happy, so pleased, about it. My mother would have been so excited and happy for me. I hope somewhere, somehow, she knows and I'm hoping she's jumping up and down in gloryland or wherever she is.

Tell me about your experience with writing and becoming acknowledged, and achieving your writing goals.