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Persistence Pays Off

Recently we visited with a local bookseller here in Ireland that is selling my book, “A Cottage in Donegal.”  Even though I self-published the book back in 2011, it still creates lots of interest.

While we were talking about book sales, Nick kept interrupting our conversation saying, “I want a book.  About airplanes.” I looked around and saw books about a variety of subjects and didn’t see one about airplanes.  Even the shop owner wasn’t sure that he had any books about airplanes.  Nick disagreed.  “I see three.”

Sure enough, there were three books about airplanes in this used book store.  In the stacks of various books, big and small, we hadn’t noticed them, but Nick did.  Of course, we bought them for him.  He was delighted.  “I right!” was his response.

This experience reminded me that Nick seems to have great capacity to focus on what he wants.  He methodically looks for those things he desires and often he discovers things that others don’t immediately see or don’t remember.

Even though his intellectual capacity tests in the lower ranges, he often surprises us with what he actually can do.  I wonder what enhanced capacities I would have if I could focus a bit more, or if I was a bit more methodical in my approach?

In the days that have followed, the joy Nick feels in having these books has not dimmed.  Anytime anyone has come into the house, they are shown his great new books.  So far, Nick has not moved on to ask for the next thing that he wants.  He is pleased with what he has.  I have reflected on how often I have looked upon the acquisition of something as the end of a task while forgetting to revel in the joy that can be felt in owning it.  I recognize his deep joy as Nick calls out, “Mom, look at this one,” or “Mom, you see this?”

I am reminded that simple things can bring feelings of great joy.  In this day of uncertainty and stress, I need more joy.  Nick reminds me that I have been overlooking how easy it can be to feel it.

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3 Comments

  1. YAY NICK! Yes, he does focus. Remember when I lived in that little basement apartment in Portland. You guys came to visit. As he walked in, he asked if I had any Honey Nut Cheerios. For some reason, I already knew that was his current thing, so I had bought some. He wanted to see that I had it, so I opened the kitchen cabinet and, much to his delight, there was Honey Nut Cheerios!

  2. This is a great reminder that we need to look for the gems in others.Everyone has them, but we tend to overlook them. Also an always-needed reminder to slow down and enjoy what we have. Thanks, Eva, for these reminders.

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Announcing that I have finished a book with the working title of “The Fairy Fort.” I am currently pitching it to publishers. Keep checking back to watch the progress of my newest novel.

Here is a quick glimpse of the story.

Sarah Doherty is an 18-year-old living in rural Ireland at the tail end of the Great War. Plagued by severe epilepsy, she is protected by her parents and lives a sheltered, secluded, lonely life. The Fae, local Irish fairies, interfere with her life. She falls forward a century in time through the local fairy fort of standing stones. She had a seizure in 1918 and woke up in 2020. The 21st century world includes life-saving prescriptions, physical comforts and the independence and freedom she seeks. The locals are welcoming and Andy Mclaughlin, a handsome young historian, is intriguing. She doesn’t want to return home.

Then a letter arrives from Boston divulging the story of Sarah and Andy’s lives that are deeply entwined in the previous century. They are not yet in love but as they seek to verify the letter through online resources, they feel a growing obligation to their unborn family and to each other. What would happen to their posterity living in Boston if they don’t return to 1918? Even if they do make it back, her parents can never know what happened to her or that would change everything.

This Young Adult time-travel romance explores the question: Do we have the freedom to make choices or is free will an elaborate illusion?

This is my third book. I love reading time travel romances. I am an advocate for epilepsy awareness because my 43-year-old son has intractable epilepsy. As a genealogist specializing in Irish research, I live part of the year in the village where the story is based. I wrote the book to help young adults understand that difficult situations can change your life. Sometimes miraculously.