The words other people say

I can now say I am a published writer with no fear of boasting or exaggeration.

I’ve seen my words in print before, been featured in anthologies of short stories and poems but now I have published my first solo effort and am earning some money from it – time will tell if I ever break even with all my expenses so far, I’ve not done the maths but that is immaterial just now.

About fifty people came to my “bookless” book launch over a week ago. The following Monday I stood in front of another dozen or so people at my first speaking engagement, waffling on and waving my arms about. I’m not good at keeping still, I open my mouth to talk and my hands automatically join in.

My book has been sold as far away as Australia and Italy.

The first empty book box - the first of many I hope.
Can you spy the glitter sparkling at the bottom?

It’s all rather exciting but when I clicked onto Amazon and discovered my first five-star review, I actually bounced on the sofa with joy.

When people say nice things it can be all too easy to shrug them off, brush the compliments away while insults and hurtful words tend to stick like glue.

At my book launch I asked a few people to write 100 words about me and I admit everyone excelled themselves with their own lovely words about me.

A friend who I was at school with from the age of five all the way until sixth form together wrote something based on an acrostic of my name, Such fun, Abundance of energy, Reunion, Aging – or rather NOT aging and Hilarious laughs together.

My bridesmaid wrote a piece peppered with references too BAZAAR to explain to anyone else. Fellow writer Ruth Leigh recalled how we first met in a pub, introduced by a mutual friend and how we still regularly meet in a bar.

The rector recalled our first meeting a little over five years ago.

Pauline (Sarah’s Mum) told me about Sarah leaving the north to come back to Hadleigh but discovered that she had cancer. I found out about Andrew, two ‘boys’ and all the complexity that this person had been through. Not a great fan of hospital visiting, I summoned my energy to see this hapless victim.

“Hapless victim” .... not!

I met the full on, dynamic entity called “Sarah”. I sat on the end of a hospital bed listening to her story.

The nature of Sarah is bustling busy-ness, passionate and compassionate, speaking up for those who might not have a voice!

Deo gratias

I admit I had to look up Deo gratias – it means thanks be to God.

The Brett Valley Collective, who I have performed with put their heads together to come up with words to describe me which was crafted into this poem which even rhymes.

Enthusiastic, dedicated

A mover and a shaker

Upbeat, warm and generous

Resilient, not a faker

 

Strong and courageous

A can doer, a creative

Despite some time up north

In Hadleigh she’s a native

 

A smiler Sarah loves to laugh

If she seems nice - well she is

Chatty with a zest for life she

Bubbles like a glass of fizz

 

A trusted member of our team

At BVC she’s in

Chances now of getting out

Are looking very slim

 

Without sweet moments life can feel

 Like lemons sharp and bitter 

So let’s take a leaf from Sarah’s book and go

In search of some lost glitter

 

They went over by 3 words – but I think you will agree they are important so I let them off, especially after I was sprinkled with actual glitter.

My oldest son wrote about the times we had watched sport together, including the first time I took him to a Premiership football match. While he could remember all the action and who scored the goals, my lasting memory was walking through a rainbow painted tunnel to get to the ground which I thought was so pretty. Then there was the time we watched tennis together and I couldn’t tell the players apart as they were dressed identically. My son said “Nadal is left-handed,” which only confused me even more.

Then youngest son shared this, in rhyme and exactly 100 words. Just like his mother he enjoys a challenge, but I must say I never quite expected these words, which made my eyes leak…

You were my comfort when thing went wrong in 2010,

And how much have you done since,

all those conversations about Avengers, and the X-men.

 

Finding a short cut through the waterfall on LEGO Racers,

how was that not a dead end?

Hosting Friday Tea so I can see all my friends

 

Helping me make bolognaise answering my phone call

“How do I cut a pepper”?

Let's not forget all my university work

where you have played the role of spell checker.

 

Or our long evenings watching superheroes on the TV.

You have always been the best mum for me.

 

Every person summed me up, or at least the version of Sarah that they knew and loved. And how loved I felt that evening.

As I writer you want your words to resonate and mean something. Getting a kind comment, a review by official channels or just a message saying how much your writing has meant to them is PRICELESS.

Maybe we should all scatter compliments and kind words like confetti and if we catch some hold on to them tightly and believe they are true!