As many of you know, I have been writing a memoir over the last several years. No, I really didn’t start out thinking that my life was interesting enough, or had inspirational fodder enough to write a book about it. But after the death of our son Sam, I started posting regularly on Facebook about the grieving process, and specifically, how the process of systematically looking at what I could be grateful about helped me move forward.

I think that writing a memoir is difficult no matter what. I mean, reflecting upon your own life is not something most humans do easily. In my case, reflecting on what Sam’s loss meant to me, to my life, to how I look at life — that was a challenge. Often in the writing I would find myself crying without even realizing it, and sometimes I had to stop because it was too raw.

Finishing it (okay, finishing the almost final version of it) was a relief, and something to celebrate. My editor has been a saint through this process, helping guide me even when she knew I might react emotionally to her suggestions.

Through the last couple months, I had finally reached the point of sending out a couple queries to agents and to a couple publishing houses that don’t require agents. I started small, figuring that if I got rejected, I would just keep trying.

Miracle of miracles, it didn’t get rejected at all. In fact, way sooner that I could ever have expected, I have signed a publishing contract on Of Grief, Garlic and Gratitude. I am so excited to be able to work with the publishing team on getting it into the final format, and getting it out into the world.

My hope is that this book will help someone feel not as alone, and feel like even on the darkest day, there is a path to joy and peace, no matter how broken you feel.