ellensagh

Celebrate! That I’m Here! That I wrote a book! That it’s Published!

That I have YOU! A writing group that I can share my excitement with. Thank you, to the one that leads and organizes this group. I found a pen today. To me a sign to keep on writing. I was unsure about coming back to this group as thought singing was in the same time frame but found out the singing is Thursday so I get to do both. Another cause for celebration.

I love celebrating. One time I wrote a poem called celebration. I won’t share it but it talks about the ups and downs of life; joy and sadness, birth and death and how important celebrations are. I see them as touchstones of remembrances for times when we feel alone or unloved. I still believe that. I remember all my celebrations. I had a wonderful one this summer.

The book, Ending Abuse, was published in May. By the beginning of June I knew I wanted to celebrate. I wanted anyone I invited to come along with me up and down the Saskatchewan river on the Prairie Lily; a one hour cruise for about $25.00. I invited about one hundred and fifty people; telling them it would be at their cost; that I was not selling books; but it was to celebrate that I wrote a book called ENDING ABUSE by Sharon Speaks. I did let them know I’d love if they bought a book.

I set the celebration date for August 25, 2016 at 4 pm and distributed my invitations. My hubby reserved two tickets for the cruise. People started telling us they were coming and my husband said, “”We have to do more than just go on a cruise.” He offered to book a celebration room at a hotel close to the river. So I sent an update to my invitees saying they could come to the cruise or just to the hotel, and there would be a lunch and a short program following the river tour.

Then, I did quite a bit of fretting during July and August as I hadn’t asked for RRSPs; wondered what would I say to the people; what would a program look like; would there be enough food. The boat held one hundred and twenty. So every two weeks, we’d phone the Prairie Lily. They said sixty, then eighty; then one hundred and a few days before; said it was sold out. But, they had no guarantee how many were there to do with my celebration.

It turned out lovely. The day started out like it could be a weather tempest; but by cruise time was a beautiful day. People came from in town; out of town, different provinces. One hundred and eleven were on the cruise to do with me. It was a relaxing time and people could have a drink if they wanted to; be on top for the first half and down for the next or vice versa.

Two friends of mine helped welcome people to the hotel celebration room and they placed flowers many people brought. There were about thirty some people there when the hundred of us arrived after the cruise. We had enough food. I spoke for about half an hour . I said a poem. I sang some songs. My sisters served dessert.

I mainly spoke of the gratitude I feel for the people in my life, for people like you, who listened and brought me to this point. I told them I chose the name Sharon for a pen name as I love sharing. I put cards out on the table that people could take and pass on to someone who might be interested. The card tells that people can find the book at www.sharonspeaks.org ( for writers, I can’t put a period after the org or the website does not show up.)

The week following the cruise and party, I was at a golf tournament and received a rock that said CELEBRATE. Then I’m getting ready for the first session of this writing group and an email is received saying the first word for a short story is CELEBRATE. A sign! Let’s celebrate! Thank you all for being in my life!

– 7 November 2016 –