Dear Reader,
Today's guest author, Cindy Woodsmall, is a New York Times and CBA best-selling author of twenty-three works of fiction. She's been featured in national media outlets such as ABC's Nightline and the Wall Street Journal. Cindy has won numerous awards and has been a finalist for the prestigious Christy, Rita, and Carol Awards.
Keeping it in the family, Cindy's latest release is co-authored by her daughter Erin Woodsmall. A talented writer, musician, wife, and mom of the three, Erin has brainstormed and researched books with Cindy for almost a decade.
Today Cindy and Erin are giving away three copies of their third book written together, As the Tide Comes In. To enter the drawing and to say hello to Cindy, email cindy@cindywoodsmall.com
Questions from My Younger Self
"There will always be someone who can't see your worth.
Don't let it be you." -- Mel Robbins
Life is short. Inside of each old person is a young person wondering what happened. I fit that description quite well. I remember times of going through my workday and once in a while I'd catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and suddenly I'd realize I looked my age, which was much older than I felt, which is good...I guess.
Aging sort of sneaks up on us, doesn't it? We're busy building a life--creating families, growing careers, paying bills, kissing boo-boos, helping with homework, fulfilling goals, and weathering times of having our dreams and hearts shattered.
The busy days melt into seasons and the seasons melt into years. All the while--as our hearts soar, break, heal, and soar again--the clock is ticking. We make wise decisions that are easy to live with and bad decisions we always regret.
We want to encourage young people to be mindful of their days, of their words and actions, because soon a decade will have passed, then two, then three...but many young people are weary of hearing "enjoy this time; it'll be gone before you know it," and when they feel that way, we know that the understanding of time is too big to comprehend or define.
It must be lived, just as we lived ours--thinking we understood.
Decades ago I used to look at people who were the age I am now, and I wondered what life was really like for them. Did the day still have awe and excitement? Did life still feel confusing? Did they feel vital to their world?
I have a few answers now. My days still have awe and excitement, perhaps more so because I know from tarnished decades of years gone by how precious a day is. Yes, it is still confusing. But I also have more clarity and understanding than I'd ever imagined possible. I know from weathering years of trying to prove myself to others that life was never about that. Life was only about the pursuit of happiness when happiness equaled sacrifice for the greater good: loving, forgiving, and supporting family, good friends, and the hurting.
Outwardly, my youth has faded, but the passing of time has allowed me to accumulate other things that are far more precious.
In answer to my young adult self about older people being vital--I now know that whether young or old, we are all vital to our world in our own way.
-- Cindy Woodsmall
Enter the book giveaway and welcome Cindy back to the book club. Win a copy of As the Tide Comes In. Email cindy@cindywoodsmall.com.
Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
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