Im up early on my sleep in day thinking non stop about Sophia and her book. Rach would probably laugh at that as sleeping in is more like 6:30 am anyways! And bless her heart as shes forgotten what the word sleep means thanks our wild-eyed and curious little London. So, I figure while Im up I could share some progress before I get to work on some more finishing touches. First, I almost cant believe that on Monday Im picking up printed copies of our manuscript and first edits. Rach and I will be modifying, correcting, adding, and subtracting any small details/things that jump out. God bless my editors patience!) Getting this far into the process reminds me of how close I came to not following through with the book. Coming out of the gate after she passed away, it seemed like a great way to honor her. I thought I could quicken the process by using most of our posts from Caring Bridge. I learned right away that quickening also meant cheapening and that Sophia deserved so much more. I also learned that I would now have to spend countless hours, forcing time almost, to tell this story. It also meant I would end up having to cut myself wide open to relive every moment. And at first it wore me out. I almost lost the will to continue. After six months and maybe a third of the way through, I stopped. Several months later, around her first birthday, a spark reignited that quiet kindling desire to make this happen. I missed her and I could only think of one way to cherish her - finish her story. Slowly plugging away, we attended a Christmas party in DC with friends we rarely saw. Two ladies approached with sheer enthusiasm asking about Sophias story. They mentioned her impact in their lives and how excited they were about the book. I dont know what happened here but at that point I was maybe half way through what would be the final manuscript. Over the next two and a half months I wrote as much as I had written in the previous thirteen and a half. In all, sixteen months later, Id finished! Then began the editing process. To write is human. To edit is divine - Stephen King While this took longer than I had hoped, I also had zero clue of the rigors of the process. Not to mention my manuscript rivaled the Old Testament in word count! But I mean, hey, if youre gonna pour your heart out, pour it out! Nevertheless, during a year in which my editor experienced way more than a lions share of family challenges, she produced what Rach and I will be picking up on Monday! So, in just under two and half years, through he gambit of frustration, tears, and almost quitting, through more personal challenges than seems fair, Sophias Grace is written. Were 95% there! On Friday, I received an all-inclusive quote from a book designer whos responsible for all logistics in design - boring layout stuff mostly, but also the cover of the book. Hell present options on that after we discuss what I think we want it to look like. Pray for this guy! He hasnt met my OCD side. Ill probably end up paying twice as much for the cover corrections. On that note though, of the options, I may post them here to let Team Soph help me with the final decision. And speaking of Team Soph, and why Im up so early, Ive been plugging away at the Team Soph acknowledgements page. This has been overwhelming to put together. Time consuming, but so delightful to my soul. Every person whos ever contributed, via Facebook condolences, Caring Bridge guest entries, cards, etc. is mentioned in the book. This is our tribute to you. Im likely less than half way through, having just finished up the cards and starting on Caring Bridge, and I believe Im up to 400 names! Going back through those cards and posts is amazingly heartwarming. God knows I wish I had that names of all included in those quiet prayer circles around the country, all the complete strangers we never met but who sent their love. You have no idea what that does to this fathers heart. And maybe that explains why Im up so early. Im putting in work to finish the race - to honor Gods presence in our journey, to continue Sophias legacy, to tell Team Soph the whole story. How incredible this journey has been! Team Soph
Posted on: Sat, 22 Mar 2014 10:30:22 +0000
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