I had a brief conversation with my mother this morning.  We talked about Jenny and I visiting soon, we talked about her pending job loss, we talked about family, we talked about health, and we talked about life.

Part of the conversation was in regards to her job search (given their office is closing on Tuesday, after which she'll be unemployed).  She spoke of sending résumés out and getting responses back stating, "We're not hiring right now" or "Thanks for your interest, but…" or "We'll keep your résumé on file…"  It was all too familiar, reminiscent of the job searches of many of my friends.

I offered my own experiences as a sign of camaraderie and understanding, and then I offhandedly mentioned that I was excited about delving into my writing and making a go of that as my new career, even hoping aloud that I be published in no more than a few years.

As moms are apt to do, mine promptly chided me lovingly by reminding me that we, she and I, had discussed this long ago, and that she had always thought I should write and encouraged me even in childhood to do just that.  She even reminded me of some short stories and ideas I had more than two decades ago, including one in particular that she found intriguing, one she thought needed to be developed.

I love Mom dearly.  She and I often find ourselves in accord and have always had like-minded ideas.  In this case, she helped reassure me that I'm not insane to pursue writing.  She also reminded me of the same thing that Jenny and marniac recently said: don't fret having postponed this endeavor until now.  My life experiences over the last 20 years can only add to the depth of any narrative.  Many ideas, which may have been premature so long ago, may now be gelled into robust and solid bases for any number of stories or novels.

I'm excited about writing.  I'm excited about the possibility of being successful at it.  I feel strengthened by the reassurances of friends and family that I am in fact on the right path.

Thank you, Mom.  Thank you for being my advocate.  Thank you for caring enough to support me.  Thank you for reminding me that you have encouraged this part of me far longer than I can remember.  Thank you for reassuring me that my imagination has always been full of ideas, and that I have always possessed the intellect and ability to communicate them successfully.  Thank you for maintaining interest in my success.  Thank you for helping me become the person I am today.  Thank you.

Get well, and I'll see you soon.