The Value of Patience

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Patience is a virtue--unless you are in a hurry.

I have never been a patient person. I think that there are many other people in today's instant-gratification society that aren't patient, either. Between the internet, on-demand telivision, and fast food resturants, people are used to getting what they want now and not a minute later. Even an extra five-minute wait at the drive-thru window is enough to get people annoyed. 

But life doesn't always give us what we want, does it? Sometimes things happen, and suddenly you are left feeling adrift. This happened to me a few weeks ago when my husband slipped on black ice over asphalt and broke his femur in six places. Needless to say, it was a life-changing experience.

For legal reasons, I can't give the details of the accident or his recovery, but you can imagine that it will be a long road for both of us before our lives return to anything even remotely close to normal. Most of my writing has been put aside to handle his care--and it is a lot of care. Not only did his femur break, but he has suffered nerve damage, which will make his recovery even more difficult. We have a long, hard road ahead of us, but we are both determined. All of his doctors seem confident that he will walk and drive and enjoy life again--eventually. We just have to be patient, because it will be months, not weeks or days, before he's feeling like himself once more.

I say this not so that you can all feel bad or take pity on us. Believe me, we have a strong marriage and we're both very stubborn. We'll roll with the punches life has handed us together. No, I say this because I was asked to answer some interview questions to give you a behind-the-scenes glimpse into my personal life. As I was reading over the questions, I realized that in many of the cases, what was true a month ago, isn't true now, and most likely won't be true in teh spring. My life is in a state of flux, and right now I'm just taking things one day, sometimes one hour, at a time.

There are a couple of questions I can answer, however, and I'll do so below.

Have you ever used an incident from your real life into one of your books?

All the time. I think a writer would be lying if they said that things around them in their everyday life have no influence on their stories. For me, I write as a form of therapy to deal with life's difficulties. I have a reoccuring theme in my stories where the main character(s) go thorugh a path of self-discovery and gain confidence in who they are as people. Quite often this involves shedding society's expectations of them and forming some new view of themself and the world around them. This is something very close to my heart. For me, it's important to stay true to yourself and to follow your passion. Life is too short to do anything else.

How many stories are swirling around in your head? Do you keep a mental list, a computer file, or a spiral notebook filled with the ideas?

I have too many ideas, and not enough writing time, lol. Whenever I get an idea, I write it down in a word document and keep it in a folder on my computer.

If you could give a younger version of yourself advice, what would it be?

Don't be in such a hurry, or sweat the small stuff. Be grateful for the little pleasures in life and know that everything will happen for you in its own time.

Are you going to any conferences this year?

Because of my husband's condition, conferences are out of the question for the first half of the year. I will be at RWA in July, however. This will be my first time attending. Hope to see you there!

What is your favorite holiday and why?

Thanksgiving, because it's about being grateful and family. It isn't over-commercialized like some other holidays.

What is your favorite food/drink?

Sushi is my favorite food. The drink depends on my mood. It's either a good cup of strong coffee, or a dry, red wine.

Hot summer days or chilly winter nights?

Oh, summer, definitely. My favorite summer activity is sitting out on my back deck with my computer and either reading or writing. I have a nice, cold drink next to me, of course!

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below. I'll do my best to answer them. :)

Bio:

A lifetime New Englander, Suzanne married her college sweetheart and has been with him for over twenty years. Every summer she drags her husband and two daughters to Maine on a quest for the perfect lobster dinner. Every fall she can be found down in Foxboro, Massachusetts cheering on her favorite football team. In between those trips, she’s a chauffeur, a maid, a chef, an event planner, a hairdresser, a wardrobe stylist, a tutor and a sometimes masseuse. To keep her sanity, she often drinks copious amounts of coffee and stares at the blank screen of her laptop, dreaming of great adventures. Sometimes she even writes them down for others to enjoy.

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