What a curious few days it has been.

I’ve been working on updating my bio, book order form, and letter of agreement.  All things I had in place five years ago when I did over 400 school and library appearances with my dachshund, Frankie.

For so long, I couldn’t imagine a day I’d do an author visit without my faithful, steal-the-show, wheelie dog, at my side. Even when my friend Mary mentioned that I could still continue to do author visits after Frankie died, I just couldn’t imagine it–it didn’t feel right to me. And honestly, I was burnt out.

But time has a way of sometimes changing one’s thoughts.

And it isn’t something I planned. But when a friend contacted me, who recently took a new principal job at a nearby school asking me if I’d come visit their school and talk about the writing process, life as an author, what empathy is, plus a lunch and learn with the teachers, I found myself curiously open to it.

Working on updating my forms I find myself excited about doing this visit in either January or February, which will be a morning session with k-2 and then an afternoon session with 3-4 graders.

I find myself smiling as I think about Frankie and how, because of her, I was able to gain the confidence to speak in public – and as you likely know that is most people’s number one fear!

I also find myself in sweet reflection recalling a reading I had done with Frankie with my friend, Dawn, who is an animal communicator. It was the day before Frankie passed away.

During that reading Frankie shared how she loved how I’d become much more relaxed as we did more and more presentations over the years. And how I’d learned to go more with the flow and not be so anxious and overly uptight about being oober organized – which I can tend to be – and something I never verbally shared with anyone. And Frankie was spot on!

So much I learned from that little dog who flew through the school hallways on her wheels, oftentimes looking like she’d take flight!

It was such a beautiful time in my life. And so it is now, too. Opportunities and possibilities to ponder and consider and take advantage of when it feels right.

While I could never imagine sharing Frankie’s story without her, here I am, ready to do just that and feeling happy in heart about it. While she won’t be with me, and I shall stand alone, it is the loving memory of her and all she taught me that I am never, ever alone…

And what a lesson in never saying never.

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