The Calm

You know those moments where you can--just for a tiny span of time--step outside yourself, look around at what's happening to you, and just feel grateful and content? I had one of those last week.

I'm definitely a worrier and a fretter and a Type-A personality, so those rare moments of serenity really stick out for me. Nothing particularly spectacular or unusual happened last week, but I was just able to see the extraordinary things I'm lucky to have:

- my cover was on Goodreads, and suddenly, it looked like a real book, just like the thousands of other books I've read and admired. (Plus no one has read or reviewed it yet, and I really appreciated not having to worry about clicking on to any 1-star reviews--like I said, fretter!)

- a few of my beta readers had finished my WIP and they loved it. It needs work, of course, but the validation that it wasn't a book only its author could love is always a relief (and doesn't always happen to me, either).

- I love my apartment and I love living in New York--and a very important state law was finally passed that re-affirmed that.

- I got to spend time with some amazing friends. We played board games and we laughed a lot. What more could you ask for?

I'm back in the ebb and flow of everyday life again this week, getting caught up on little things, perhaps more caught up than I should be. But I'm looking forward to my next moment of calm, whenever it may come.