Goodbyes. Gripping Pain. And a Giveaway.

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Hi there!

I feel as if I’ve been away from my blog for a while, and I actually have, although it’s been entirely unintentional. Today, I wanted to explain why, especially as I wanted to write about the past week, which has been somewhat momentous for my family.

My son started his freshman year at a university, and it’s not the one where I teach. The preparation, though, was all that you’d expect. The day before he left, we were frantically getting everything together, making sure he had all he needed. We washed clothes and ran to Target. We created a checklist and began ticking things off. We organized and packed. We loaded up the car that night. In the morning, we ate breakfast and began our hour and forty minute ride to his new “home away from home,” where he will be living for the next four years.

If you’re wondering if I balled my eyes out, I did not. I swallowed hard when I said goodbye, and only a small tear floated in my eyeball; I didn’t allow it to leak out, I fought so hard. My husband got a little choked up, but honestly, we all kept it together. Friends were texting me that night asking how my daughter coped with it all, and I told them, are you kidding? She’s now Queen of the Castle. She’s happy as a pig in … She won’t admit it, of course, but she does miss her big brother a little.

And now, it’s a full week later, almost to the hour, and I’m coming out of it.

Not the goodbye or the notion that my son is gone for extended periods of time, but rather I am coming out of the awful physical pain that happened to me as we moved him in. You see, I thought I had a hip problem and have been seeing a doctor for issues with my hip, but apparently, my doctor was right with his new diagnosis that I may have a back problem, and ironically it was uncovered the day before we took my kid to college. That’s right–I have a lower back problem that needs tending to, and I pulled it as I was moving my child into his dorm room, just like that, by bending over to reach for something. I’ve been out of commission for a week, but am now getting better. I taught my first classes yesterday and today (without pain), and last week I had a few meetings to attend (in pain). Little did anyone know (except the few I told), that I was actually writhing in pain during these four and two hour meetings, in addition to attending convocation and a picnic last week. I fought through all of that.

And now, all I can say is THANK GOD FOR THE INVENTOR OF ICY HOT. That icy hot patch, my heating pad, and the pills that were prescribed for me are my new best friends.

So that’s why I haven’t been around. I’ve been too busy being miserable and cantankerous and mired down in self pity, you see.

In celebration that I’m turning a corner and will soon begin physical therapy to strengthen and attack this back problem I have, I decided to do something nice, so I’m giving a way some more of my new books. Also, thank you to those of you who have bought copies recently. I noticed my sales numbers were good, and I’m happy to see people are enjoying the collection of short stories. All my books are available on Amazon.com and BN.com. I am always thankful for your support.

If you’d like to enter the giveaway, please do so by clicking this link below:

https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/07e5f03739b746e1

I wish you all well as you or your children begin a new school year, and please, take care of  yourselves. Listen to your doctors and do what is best for you. As Will Traynor says in Me Before You, one of my favorite books, “You only have one life to live; it’s actually your duty to live it as fully as possible.”

Be well, my friends.

And I hope you win a book.