Happy New Year; January 2 2023

2022 closed on a pretty high note, I think. Not for me personally – I rang in the new year with a panic attack, courtesy of some PTSD following last year’s SWAT raid – but all things considered, I think we could’ve all done a lot worse.*

*Your opinion might wildly vary and is perfectly legitimate.

I’m trying to remember any 2022 highlights, but to be honest, I’m having a hard time recalling most of the good. The past year was kind of a blur! But, let’s try to review it – rough spots first, then the good.

-        Obviously, the biggest hardships of 2022 on us were the SWAT raid and the harassment from our neighbours.

-        I got some pretty rough rejections while querying my books – one hurt because it was surprisingly mean, another hurt because I’d let my hopes get so high with a dream agent of mine.

-        I had a hard time writing this year and didn’t manage to make nearly as much progress on my latest works as I’d hoped.

But!

-        I got primary custody of my daughter, which is definitely the biggest thing to have happened last year!

-        I started working on my health more than I ever have, cutting back on soda and exercising when I can. I also got to start reading for fun again, which I think counts towards my mental health in a big way.

-        I had a huge gender-affirming surgery (my hysterectomy)!

-        I delved into poetry and wrote a chapbook, and even got a poem published!

-        Covid vaccines were approved for kids under 5, which meant my four year old got vaccinated!

-        My kid started school, and she loves it! She made plenty of friends, which I honestly think she’d been pretty starved for. Growing up in quarantine was rough on her.

-        She also started karate, and by year’s end, she’s progressed to a yellow-white belt, which I think is incredibly impressive.

-        She also started dance classes, which she adores!

-        I got back into tabletop gaming with friends I desperately missed!

-        We went to a wonderful friend’s wedding and I reconnected with more friends I’d missed a ton!

-        My book, The Wishing Maiden, has been narrated for audiobook format! I still have to review it and set the pub date, but I’m very excited about that.

As bad as the bad things were – and they continue to hurt, even with a fantastic therapist – the good did still outweigh the bad in terms of numbers.

Happy 2023, all. I hope it treats us all gently.

Now the first segment of our story for the year:

Sacrifice. What were they being sacrificed to? What for?

Sage struggled with the question, needing to ask but having no idea how to do so. They could write it again, maybe… But Inanna wasn’t paying them much mind, focused on her work. She didn’t notice when Sage departed, looking for the spare quill and ink they used.

At last, when she did look up, her expression set into something complex. She read Sage’s question – the word ‘sacrifice’, circled.

“Do you not remember?”