wildflowers
My newest children’s book, the book I have been actively developing for over two years (but mentally developing for over five)… is FINISHED!
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Penelope’s Wildflowers is a story, my story. It is a story about foreboding joy.
Foreboding Joy: Brené Brown coined this term and it can be described as the feeling you get when feelings of joy are closely followed by feelings of worry or dread: impending doom… waiting for the other shoe to drop. Not allowing yourself to fully experience the present beauty just incase something goes wrong. It’s a delicate balance of emotions. It’s embracing the beauty of the present while fearing the impending loss.
For me, foreboding joy has shown up in motherhood. And that delicate balance has often not been balanced at all. My worries and my what-ifs usually tip the scales and veil the beauty of the present.
& I don’t want that. I don’t want to miss out on my children’s lives - their small moments, their big moments, their ups and their downs, their smiles and their giggles, their tears and their braveries - just because I’m too focused on protecting them from the hypothetical what-ifs of the world.
I want to be fully present.
Because that’s just it. What-ifs are always in the future… they’re a projection of what could happen, not a picture of what is.
When we choose to be present, we choose truth.
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That is the journey that Penelope takes in Penelope’s Wildflowers. It’s a journey of joy, a journey of love, a journey of what-ifs, a journey of worries, a journey of protection, a journey of heavy burdens, and ultimately a journey of beauty.
PS - want to hear more of my writing journey? Check out this podcast episode to learn about my books, why I wrote them, and how they can help both kids and parents live more emotionally healthy lives!