Breast Cancer Awareness & Prevention Pencils..A Gift of Friendship

Last night I enjoyed yet another Christmas movie marathon. Some of my favorite movies air in the weeks leading up to, and the week after Christmas. Movies of hope, love, and miracles. While Ed watched football in the living room, I invaded my daughter’s room to watch from her room. She read. I crocheted until my fingers cramped up. Then as quick as my fingers cramped, God gave me a thought.

I jumped from the couch and went to my office. All I could hear behind me was, “Mom, are you okay.” I smiled and chuckled as I responded with a “Just got an idea, grabbing my stuff.” Even though I couldn’t see her, I know she was smiling and shaking her head at me. My family is used to such things when it comes to living with me. I commend anyone who lives with the artsy-creative being, we can be a bit odd, flighty, and go with the moment when the idea/thought/muse/inspiration hits.

I pulled the white basket from the, retrieved my pretty-in-pink breast cancer awareness pencils from their special spot, grabbed an additional steno pad, and returned to the movie marathon. With Mags by my side, I went to work, with tears in my eyes.

Why such an emotional ordeal? To write is nothing new. To jump from my seat with the idea I’ve been praying and thinking for, nothing new. To have multiple notebooks, binders, and writing utensils around me…normal. So what was different? Why the tears? Simple…because of the
pencils.

A sweet and special friend gave me a pack of pencils to “write your next book” in the fall of 2012. I told her, “Where’s Heidi? One Sister’s Journey doesn’t release until April 2013, so why the pencils now?” She smiled, gave me a hug and said “Because you have more to write and I know it will be great. Thank you for being my friend.” I assured her I would tuck the pencils away until I started to seriously work on the sequel to Where’s Heidi? One Sister’s Journey. 

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So last night, I went to work. I’ve been making notes, jotting down ideas, and organizing my thoughts for this book since about half way through writing the first one. There are things I want to share with others to help, encourage, and inspire them yet in order to write Where’s Heidi? One Sister’s Journey as if back in 1994, and move forward, some things had to wait. Until now…

Usually when I grab the pencils, use the coffee mug, or whatever someone has blessed me with for a certain time…I contact them to say thank you and let them know their gift of love is being used. I couldn’t do this last night. My friend, LMD, is one of heaven’s angels now. Shortly after encouraging me and giving me the pencils, her battle with cancer returned ~ a battle God chose to relieve her of by calling her home…to Him. To use these pencils brought mixed emotions. She would be thrilled I was using them yet probably laugh because I really saved them. I wrote part of a chapter last night with these pencils…who knew a pencil, and the conversation when gifted, could be such an encouragement?

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I posted a couple pictures last night to Facebook and asked what each had to do with each other. Linda F. said, “planning”. You are so right Linda, I’m planning and working on the sequel to Where’s Heidi? One Sister’s Journey. Laurel V. said, “someone you know uses them” ~ this is true also. Actually, each time I see Laurel’s pencils floating around the room I think of LMD, friendship, and how God’s plan is always perfect. So these pencils bring encouragement and confirmation, all at the same time. Cool, eh?

I don’t have a calendar of deadlines created for the sequel or even a time frame to finish, leaving in God’s hands. All I know for today is this, I used the pencils a friend gifted me for this very purpose last night and the writing and moving forward with this book has been set in motion. Similar to Where’s Heidi? One Sister’s Journey, there will be much emotion to accompany the writing and editing process yet I feel God is saying, “It’s time.”

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