As any of you who know me personally know, Sam was one of my greatest cheerleaders of my writing. Sam (along with his dad and brothers) always believed that I would be published at some point. He always said that once I either got an agent, or a publishing contract, we would go out to dinner as a family and that everyone would order what they want. This was a big deal, since when you are a child in a big family, you spend a lot of time being told to order the cheapest option.

When my first novel was published, we went out for a family dinner, just as Sam had wanted. We ordered what we wanted, we laughed, we cried a bit, we reminisced, and we honored Sam and his belief in us. Then we took a photo of the four of us with that novel.

This past weekend we went out to celebrate the upcoming publication of Of Grief, Garlic and Gratitude. We went to this amazing local Asian restaurant, and had a fabulous dinner. We didn’t each order what we wanted, instead the boys told me to order for everyone. Many courses later, we were full, happy, and had enjoyed an evening of love, laughter, memories, and joy.

By the time we were done, the restaurant was full, and the sun had set. We weren’t able to get a family photo with the book like we had done before, but when we got home, we took a picture of the book with my fortune.

Sam always believed. Sam always looked for opportunities to spend time with family and friends, and he loved a good meal. So we did what Sam wanted us to do, and I know he is proud of us for doing it.