May your Thanksgiving tomorrow be happy, stress-free and full of wonderful moments shared with loved ones!
This year I’m thankful for my family, my friends and my readers. Writing is a bit like farming, in that you do your part without any guarantees. Just as a farmer ploughs, plants and weeds his fields but depends on the weather to reward him with a crop, a writer pours out her soul onto paper in the hopes her words will be read and enjoyed by other people. Sometimes it feels like I’m sending my words out into a vacuum.
When my debut novella, The Djinn's Dilemma, came out earlier this month I was decidedly nervous. Would anyone read my story? Did anyone even know I exist? The best part of being a published author has been receiving notes from my readers. Readers who not only took the time to read my story, but also to let me know what they thought. Thank you for letting me know my words are finding homes.
I'm also thankful for all the writers who wrote stories that comforted me when the chips were down or just helped me escape the daily grind. I remember laughing out loud as I read Three Singles to Adventure by Gerald Durell and how it helped me get over a highschool-heartbreak. And when my baby son --born 7 weeks early--spent 62 days in the hospital, I coped by reading The Time It Never Rained out loud to him. I didn't know if he'd make it or not, and I wanted to make sure I shared a damn good story with him.
So it saddens me to know there are many people in our world who will never know the comfort of a good book.
According to UNICEF, "Nearly a billion people will enter the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names and two thirds of them are women."
I'm thankful for my ability to read and my ability to do something about illiteracy. What are you thankful for? For each comment left between today and Nov. 27, 2011 I will donate $1 to UNICEF. All I ask in return is help spread the word. Thanks!
What a worthy cause! Simply beautiful and I pray for your efforts. Happy Thanksgiving. It's awareness like this that can make a difference in other lives.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Wonderful, Mina! I love how you compared writing to farming. And what a worthy cause! I am happy to comment and spread the word.
ReplyDeleteAmy
What a perfect way to celebrate Thanksgiving. In addition to donating toward literacy through good people like Mina, there is another easy way: Go to www.thehungersite.com and click on the Literacy tab at the top. All you do is click; sponsors donate the money. Better yet: make this your homepage when your browser opens so you think to do this every day. Takes seconds. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea! Though it's going to cost you. ; ) For anyone who can, I also advocate volunteering with local literacy programs. I spend 2 hours one afternoon a week with a program for below-grade-level readers called STAIR (Start the Adventure in Reading.) Most cities have literacy councils with programs for adults, as well.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving!
What a beautiful post. I have a lot to be thankful for as well: health, family, love, and writing. Good luck with your literacy efforts! Happy Thanksgiving!!
ReplyDeleteI hope you get lots of posts. It's hard to believe there are people out there unable to read, but there are. Reading a book can take you to another world. Loved your post. Good luck with you efforts. Happy Thanksgiving Mina!
ReplyDeleteKim G.
Thanks all for visiting and helping me spread the word. Before a problem can be solved, one must be aware of it. And sometimes people just need a reminder and thanksgiving seemed the perfect time for this effort :)
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for mentioning all the other great ways to help support literacy!
Wonderful post, Mina. I am thankful for being able to spend a day with family and having enough to eat.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mina. I'll certainly help you spread the word :o)
ReplyDeleteOh, and I'm thankful for family, friends, freedom and yes, education and opportunity. I'm not trying to bump the count - I just didn't READ the INSTRUCTIONS properly, the first time :-D
ReplyDeleteThank you for your stories and your laughter, Mina. You are truly a lovely woman and an inspiration. Thank you for supporting such a wonderful cause. I am personally thankful for new beginnings and the will to embrace them.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great idea. I blogged about it today. :D
ReplyDeleteThanks again for all your visits & spreading the word. Appreciate you'all jumping on board! Woot! Keep the comments coming!
ReplyDeletehi miss rashda! cool post! for sure im sooo happy my mom read to me when i was just way little and im glad i can read so much good books. when i grow up and get married for sure im gonna read to my kids from when their just little. that literacy stuff is soooo important. its just so nice that youre gonna donate out a dollar for every post. i hope a zillion people do comments.
ReplyDelete...smiles from lenny
Nearly a billion? That's terrible. You're offering up something amazing, though. *claps* I really admire you for this donation. (That sounded less weird in my head.) I'm gonna go blog this. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for doing this! I surfed over from Stina's link about this :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving to you as well, wonderful and thoughtful to do the UNICEF, will gladly spread the news.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter informed me I am the ultimate nerd because I read and write in my spare time. I teach at my other job. I want other women to have their own chance at being nerdy. Great job on the blog and your book.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a wonderful cause. Hope you get lots more comments.
ReplyDeleteParents may be in love of their child giving them such offers but it may be put on child’s mind that if they will get or have something good in their life by their hard work so that they will also demand something for it from their parents.explore more
DeleteGreat cause! Thanks for supporting it!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for helping me raise awareness about UNICEF and its literacy work! Appreciate your support...so, counting the # of comments, the # of people who contacted me to say they couldn't leave a comment & the base amount I'd decided to donate...$150! Woot!
ReplyDeleteWow. What a wonderful idea. I'm sorry I didn't log in sooner. If I can get a full time job that pays more than I'm currently making (and am unable to make a living with), I will definitely do this. Who knows? Maybe we can make it a blogfest. ;D So many of society's ills could be cured with education....
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great initiative on your part. I feel terrible about missing it. I just got directed here from another blog, but you deserve applause for this :)
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