How it all went down...

I thought perhaps I should share the Reader's Digest version of just how this book came about. Though I am a writer by trade, I wasn't one at the time, and I certainly didn't sit down one day and say, "I'm going to write a children's book!"

I was waiting in line in Barnes & Noble around Mother's Day and saw an adorable kids book about a mother/child relationship. It used cute little animal illustrations to portray different activities that the child telling the story used to engage in with Mom.

I adored it and snatched it right up to add to my purchases, but then I turned it over and saw the price: $19.95, and changed my mind. It was super cute, but no larger than a greeting card and approximately 12 pages. I hated feeling cheap, but my mother's words rang through my ears as I asked myself if she'd want me to pay the price of the book.

"You could have made me something better!" She always said that when presented with a floral, poetic greeting card or picture. And so I decided to take her on her word, and I put that little book back on the shelf at Barnes & Noble.

I went home and immediately sat down at my computer and began to think about the things I used to do with my mom as a kid and what made her special to me.

When I started listing the qualities that I admired in my mother, one word, "BRAVE" stood out. It came up after recalling one of my favorite stuffed animals, 'Rabbit,' which was given to me (on loan) by my mother during her battle with Breast Cancer.

The small white rabbit had actually been a get well gift to her from her best friend. I fell in love with it at first sight on a visit to Mama in the hospital, and begged her to let me take care of it while she got better. She agreed, despite its sentimental value, purely from the look of joy on my face. I can only imagine that during a time of such uncertainty and fear for her life that seeing me beam over that rabbit was one of few highlights over the duration. Seeing her kids smile is still one her favorite things in the world.

When I thought of Rabbit, now sitting on the bed next to me, tattered from years of love, I thought of her bravery. And how amazingly poised, and strong she stayed throughout her whole battle with the disease.

From there the words simply poured from my finger tips. I had a 3 page poem in about 10 minutes, which I was very pleased with. I went out to Michael's craft store the next day, and bought a blank Bristol photo album with way more pages than I needed. I scribbled the words onto the pages in pencil, and roughly sketched some illustrations.

I proceeded to procrastinate over the next 2 days, and found myself tracing over my scribbles and outlining my sketches with a black Sharpy after my shower on the morning of Mother's day. As my sister arrived to pick me up for the family brunch we were attending, I was still putting the final touches on with a hand full of colored pencils.

When I presented it, my mom was blown away. I almost had counted on it, since she was always so fond of my writing and drawing. But what I hadn't counted on, was the reaction of so many other people. Her friends, her coworkers, other family members all thought it was the most amazing gift and message, and wanted a copy for themselves or to share with a loved one who had battled or was currently fighting a disease like cancer.

My mother called and asked me one day a few months later if I might want to publish the book. I simply said, "I made it for you Mama. It's yours to do whatever you want with. If you want to publish it, I am totally on board."

And there it is! We self published under my business BaM Publishing and Copywriting. My mother wanted not ONE SINGLE thing changed from the original I had handed her at brunch (which she keeps hermetically sealed in a box in her bedroom closet and only takes out twice a year). ;)

I know that my mom is one of a kind in so many ways, and I am so happy that this book can not only showcase one of her many strengths, but that it can also instill hope and courage in anyone else who has, or is battling a life threatening disease.

peace signs and porcupines for now! :)

*and believe me, this IS the Reader's Digest version! ha.