“How could you reach the pearl by only looking at the sea? If you seek the pearl, be a diver: the diver needs several qualities: he must trust his rope and his life to the Friend’s hand, he must stop breathing, and he must jump.” –Rumi
Lately it seems that all I talk about, think about or write about is cheating the Grim Reaper. And you know what? I am completely ok with that...I think like Rumi, when it comes to life and death...I am a diver.
However, emotional scuba gear aside, I can’t help but recall a slightly tense conversation with my dad a few months back when I was preparing my family for the book’s publication.
“Dad, I know it’s not like any of us when I was little said, ‘ Gee...I really hope Courtney grows up to become a Bell-Ringing, Whistle-Blowing, Suicide Survivin’, Bipolar Poster Girl”...I get it...this is gonna be hard and like ripping some scabs off but if it’ll help people then I will do it and do it with as much humility, dignity, and grace as possible.”
OK—that last bit might be a smidgen improvised—it was probably more of a “Please pass the salt…” moment—you get the drift. But the Walshes are good sports for the most part and are trying to take it all in stride as much as possible. Some amazing stories and moments have already come out of this process and I hope that many more will come in the months ahead...The most encouraging and uplifting can be found here: http://www.lipstickandthongbook.com/. This is the site I update regularly so bookmark it and feel free to pass it on.
I also have another excerpt entitled “Brushes and Crushes” (because really—who among us can’t relate to a coming-of-age unrequited love story?) coming out on http://www.commonties.com/ soon so that link will be posted on the book’s home site when that happens. And another excerpt will appear in Dawna Markova’s book, “Spot of Grace” to be published by New World Library in February of 2008.
