Absence Makes....

Yeah, as fitting as it is I can't bring myself to use that cliche.  It has been far too long since I wrote here, or wrote anything at all.  I got caught up first in the holidays, then just life in general.  Sadly, it took the tragic loss of a very dear friend to kick my butt back in to gear.  He was one of the first people to encourage me to have my work published, a dream he never saw come true for his own amazing book.  I can only hope that those who have taken up the cause now will be able to make that dream a reality.  It's only been a couple of weeks, but it already feels like it's been forever.  The pain is still extremely fresh, and I find it hard to focus enough to do much of anything, let alone actually write, yet I can hear his voice in the back of my mind.  It's telling me not to set aside my writing any longer just because I miss him, reminding me that my writing has always been an outlet during hard times.  Telling me to chase my dreams while I can, and I know better than to ignore that advice.  I also know that I can keep him alive in my fictional worlds, should I so choose.  So it is with a heavy heart and vision blurred by pain and tears that I take my story notebooks out of their box, pick up the keyboard again and get back to it, knowing that I have him watching over me as I work, nodding in approval.

So, goodnight dear friend.  With you to guide me, I'll keep chasing this crazy dream of making a living as a writer.