Guest Blogger Georgiana Daniels

 Erica here. My good buddy, Georgiana Daniels is stepping up to help me out. I'm on deadline, and I'm currently huddled in a corner with my laptop, muttering and mumbling and generally ignoring the rest of the world as I finish this manuscript. And like the true friend she is, Georgiana has kindly accepted my offer (begging and pleading and a wee bit of sniveling) to post for me.

She gave me a sneak peek at the short story she's offering for free today, and let me just say, it is true-blue Georgiana all the way, and soooo funny! You won't regret signing up to get your copy!

Take it away, Geo!

Unexpected Blessings and Other Crazy Lessons

 

Does anyone else feel like 2020 whacked them in the head? The blunt force trauma of this year is unlike any other. Whether it’s health related, financial, or general anxiety, we’ve all been affected one way or another. But the good thing is, it’s also caused most of us to reevaluate what really matters in life—and I don’t just mean Clorox wipes and toilet paper (a-hem).

 As we approach Thanksgiving, it’s a great time to look at what we’ve learned over the past 11 months and the unexpected blessings that snuck up on us. No doubt many of us had to pivot both in our personal lives and in our writing careers or other areas that matter most. In doing so, we’ve probably realized how resilient we are—and how much we rely on God for His daily provision of everything we lack. That, in itself, is a blessing.

I’ve discovered a lot about myself over the past year—a good whack in the head will do that, you know. For example, I can spend an inordinate amount of time working and/or lounging in pajamas. Who knew? Also, I’m perfectly content to hide out at home—I mean quarantine—for the good of humanity, of course. And in other news, whoever is out there making memes this year is doing a fabulous job! (As a side note, I’m printing out my favorites for my journal.)

Then there are the deeper discoveries, like the fact that I’m not as introverted as I’d previously suspected. Because we are, as a family, on the careful side, I don’t get to see my people as often as I want to, and every time we do my well fills up. No longer do I take a moment with family or friends for granted like I did in the olden days—a.k.a. 2019. Also, I never thought of myself as a hugger before this year, but now I savor each hug, never knowing when I’ll get that next meaningful embrace. I’ve become that person that doesn’t let go in a timely manner, and it gets a little awkward. (Sorry, not sorry!)

If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that none of us are guaranteed tomorrow. The thing of it is, we never were. Yet most of us took for granted that we’d have tomorrow, and several tomorrows after that to accomplish our goals. We didn’t just set goals for this month, but we had our one-year goals and our five-year plans, as though it were entirely in our hands. Procrastination on issues big and small became a running joke along with endless to-do lists that bled over into the following week and the week after that. But so many of us now realize that what we have is today, and today is a great time to make things happen!

That’s why I’m no longer waiting on the publishing fairy to pay me another visit. I’m taking matters into my own nervous hands and joining the indie crowd! This could be the best thing ever—or it could be an epic disaster. We’ll have to wait and see. Honestly, though, the only epic disaster is never trying, never doing, and always waiting until that proverbial someday.

The point is, I’m barreling ahead because writing matters to me. Story matters to me. Making people smile and experience even a smidgen of joy matters to me. And isn’t that what 2020 should have taught us all, to invest our time and ourselves into what’s really important? (Kind of sad that it took a worldwide pandemic to open my eyes, but that’s a post for another day.)

Don’t put off what’s important to you until it’s too late. That doesn’t mean we jump willy-nilly into the unknown just to see what happens. But we can prayerfully and strategically take steps toward the goals God has placed on our hearts right now. Regret would be an even bigger whack in the head than 2020, and that’s saying a lot.

If you’re anything like me, you need a good laugh this year along with that dose of introspection. On that note, I’d like to offer you The Mystery of the Missing Groom, which is a fun free short story prequel to my spring 2021 release, Crumbs of Passion, as a thank you for signing up for my newsletter.

How about you? What unexpected lessons or blessings did you learn from 2020? How do you plan to carry those lessons into the future? Enquiring minds want to know!

Bio: Georgiana Daniels is an author, homeschooling mom, and master’s degree student. “Busy” is her middle name, but if she finds a nugget of free time she enjoys knitting, reading, and fumbling around on the piano to the dismay of others. Though previously published in romance and women’s fiction, she’s dipping an anxious toe into cozy mysteries—because murder and mayhem are so much fun!