My dear friends,
I know it has been forever since I have written a blog post. To give you the condensed version, with caring for my mom and then her subsequent passing, I needed ample time to recover and adjust. She was so dear to me, and I was blessed to be able to have her close to us during her final six years. Her loss was devastating, even though I am well aware that this is the normal cycle of life. She enjoyed a reasonably healthy 90 years, and I firmly believe that she is looking down from Heaven. I know she and Dad have enjoyed their reunion in the sky.
Time has been essential in coping and healing. Travel has been beneficial. Family has been a blessing. So, finally I feel as though I can finish what may very well be my last book, Never Say Hopeless.
In September of this year, I loved going to my 50th high school class reunion in Southern California, where I had the privilege of hanging out with dear old friends and spending time in the town where I grew up. That week brought back so many fond memories, but it was shocking to see how the area has grown over the years and how crazy the traffic has become. Mom and Dad would be so surprised to see our small town of Hesperia, California now.
The adventure continued with a twenty-day cruise leaving the port of Los Angeles on the Ruby Princess and taking us to some of the most beautiful places in the world. With four days at sea while we sailed to Honolulu and another five days at sea to travel to Tahiti, I actually felt relaxed enough to tackle editing the Never Say Hopeless manuscript. Since I had not laid eyes on it in probably about four years, I started at the beginning and made a multitude of changes. At least it is once again a work-in-progress instead of sitting on my desk untouched!
I wish everyone blessed Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons for 2019 and assure you that this book will become a reality in 2020, barring any unforeseen circumstances.
A very special thank you to those who perpetually ask when this book will be released. You give me the encouragement that I truly need in order to finalize this project.
All the very best,
Mary Anne Benedetto
https://www.awriterspresence.com
