When you have been hit by a drama, you can’t continue looking at life in the same indifferent way. The death of a person close to you, the discovery of a health problem, the loss of a job, and other things can gnaw at your heart, make you suffer and somehow restructure your way of thinking, your perspective on life.
A French author, Alfred de Musset said that to write beautiful poetry one must have tasted real sadness. To write a book that touches readers, an author must dig deep in his/her own emotions and write from the heart.
Having experience problems, pain and frustration, in the past months, I felt disconcerted for a while, unable to resume my old routine, because whether I like it or not my routine has changed. In an effort to regain my self-control, I started looking around me.
And what I saw amazed me.
So many friends smiling, extending a helping hand, offering words of comfort, encouragement and support. So many of you, here on this loop and others, without whom I would have taken a longer time to smile again. Thank you.
I also saw people suffering because of difficult economical circumstances, and needing financial help.
I saw lonely senior citizens looking at me with sad eyes and telling me ‘your mother was lucky to have you visiting, we don’t have anyone here’.
I saw children begging me to play and laugh with them. Little did they know how their company helped me.
I saw handicaps teenagers who needed a drive–or someone to need them.
Again I looked around and saw a beautiful scenery: a palette of amazing colors in the trees. When I lived in the North, I never missed walking through parks and taking pictures of the foliage. In Florida, a stroll on the sand while watching the waves restores my good mood and fills me with inspiration for my stories. Nature offers a whole array of joys to taste.
Socializing is something I avoided, as I never had enough time to just sit with friends and chat, share a meal at home or in a restaurant, play a game or watch a movie. To think of it, I stopped watching movies or TV shows eons ago. Now I make it a point to follow the news and enjoy a few shows while knitting. Yes, knitting. To be honest, I hadn’t touched knitting needles since my son was four years old. Now I am knitting a long scarf for his daughter.
Another precedent for me. I volunteered to help baking at our church. Cooking I handle well, but baking! Good Lord, baking is something I avoided like a virus. Baking contributes to add pounds to one’s hips. But I decided it was time to show some goodwill by cooperating in the church’s kitchen. I was very proud when my cookies turned out to be nice-looking and delicious.
Now, I look around for little joys.
Unexpected good news can add tremendous joy. The success of our boxes, Unforgettable Romance, Unforgettable Heroes, Unforgettable Christmas, Sweet and Sassy, Sweet and Sassy Christmas and now Sweet and Sassy Valentine, definitely put a smile on my lips and kicked my muse back into work.
As always, writing is a joy, a passion and a soothing relaxation. My new story, A Bride for Prince Paul, is set in Paris and a fiction island in the Channels, Rensy Island, a twin of Guernsey Island. The story of Prince Paul and Dr. Amy Tyrone is a precursor to the romance of British Prince Harry and Megan Markle.
Tell me, please, where do you find your joys? How do you get over sadness, frustration or anxiety?
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, Mona Risk published twenty-five books and “knows how to pull a reader into the minds of her well-crafted characters. Her work takes us on a journey be it local or overseas.”~Night Owl Reviews.
Mona Risk can be found at:
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New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, Mona Risk, received an Outstanding Achiever Award from Affaire de Coeur Magazine. She’s a two time winner of Best Contemporary Romance of the Year from Readers Favorite; a winner of Best Romance Novel of the Year from Preditors & Editors Readers Poll; and an EPIC Award finalist.
Mona Risk’s name has often been posted on the Amazon.com 100 Most Popular Authors in Romance list, and her books have garnered: Top Pick, Outstanding Read, Sweetheart of the Week, and Best Book of the Week from various reviewers, and received two mentions in Publisher’s Weekly.
Mona lives in South Florida and has traveled to more than eighty countries on business or vacation. She writes contemporary romances, medical romance, romantic suspense, and paranormal fantasy. Sprinkled with a good dose of humor, her stories are set in the fascinating places she visited or more simply at home.
If you like to travel and love to read, come and enjoy her international romances. Meet the spirited heroines and special heroes who share irresistible chemistry in stories that simmer with emotion.
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Mona, I am glad that you are able to see the joy in life, and I would love to taste your cookies some time. I am sorry for whatever happened to knock you off your stride but it sounds like you’ve found it again. ((hugs))
Traci
ps–for the record, in the time that I have known you through FRW, and now the AB loop, you have always been so very generous
Thank you, Traci, for the nice words and the friendship.
This is such an uplifting article and I so appreciated your views and news of the later interests entering your already busy life. My article which I was going to put on the 25th was on a similar trend as I have recently been experiencing trauma and began thinking of the simpler joys and benefits in my life. So now I will think about something else as your touching and wonderful article says it all.
God Bless.
Katy. .
Hi Katy, am glad you recover from your trauma. It’s strange how we go through life complaining and ignoring the simple joys. And it takes a difficult time to make us appreciate what we took for granted.
What a heartwarming post, Mona. Even though some of the content made me think of some of our own family’s issues, there was a tone of feel good here, and I enjoyed reading it.
My joy was here tonight, my baby grandson, a toddler actually, who’s mom is going thru a terrible time, but it gives me solace to know I’m giving comfort and help to those that mean the most to me.
Hugs!
Sue
Hi Susan, cuddle that baby and enjoy him. I helped raise my four grandchildren and remember every minute with so much joy.
Wonderful post, Mona. I know you’ve had your trials lately so I’m glad you have taken stock and renewed your spirit. Just as the little annoyances in life can drive us crazy, so can the little uplifting moments keep us going. Thank you for sharing.
What can we do, Joan? Cry or better keep going, try to smile and help our dear ones as much as we can.
Mona, I’m happy that you are feeling more hopeful. I share your love of little joys! I read somewhere “The wise man seeks little joys, knowing that life is long and that his quota of great joys is distinctly limited.”
I envy your ability to knit. It’s something I’ve never been able to do. I think it has something to do with my left-handedness.
I have always loved to bake. I eat cake because, well, I’m sure it’s somebody’s birthday somewhere!
Hi Donna,
I am sure your cakes must be delicious! Mine are hmm…either too dry or too mushy.
But I finally managed knitting and crochet even. At least enough to make my Mom and MIL proud of their hopeless daughter. LOL