The Reluctant Writer- a cautionary tale

“I’ll write that book someday,” she said after sharing her story with friends over coffee.

“You really should,” they agreed.

Years went by. Her work was busy. The kids had sports. The laundry basket was overflowing.

“You should write a book about that,” her husband said when she shared her story over a glass of wine.

“I know, but this week we’ve got to get ready for camping.” She started writing her checklist for their trip.

Years went by. The kids graduated from high school. She thought there would be more time to write. Her husband got sick, so she spent her days taking him back and forth to the doctor.

I’ll write that book someday, she thought. Maybe when I retire.

Years went by. Her husband got better. The kids had their own kids. Both she and her husband retired. She thought there would be more time to write but her kids needed someone to babysit the grandkids.

I’ll write that book someday, she thought. Now I have all the time in the world.

Years went by. The grandkids went to school. Her husband passed away. Her eyes grew weak, and her hands hurt. It was hard to type on her laptop.

I will write this book, she thought. And even when it was hard to focus beyond her pain, she wrote and wrote and wrote.

Years went by. When she finally held the finished novel in her trembling hands, she couldn’t even read the words on the pages.

But she was full of joy because she finally wrote the book.