Five Good Minutes

Oooh! So there I was, working on revisions for Rebel Without a Cake and wondering what I should blog about today when I heard a knock on the front door. It took me a minute to get out from under the hard copy of my manuscript, the lap desk, my phone, and all the other junk that somehow always manages to end up on my lap while I'm working. By the time I reached the door and shooed the dog away from the doorknob, I heard the tell-tale sound of a UPS truck driving away and I knew I was in for something great.

Sure enough, there on my porch, was a small package from my editor containing my very first copy of The Cakes of Wrath hot off the presses.

For those who write, you know what a thrill it is to hold a book in your hands for the first time. For those who read, let me just tell you that it never, ever gets old. No, I don't experience the same mind-altering feeling of unbelief mixed with pure joy that I felt with my very first book, but it's still a rush. It's a little like Christmas morning.

I always hold the book and look at the cover closely and yes, I still feel giddy when I notice things like "National Bestselling Series" on the cover. I run my hands over it and savor the feel of the book, and then I walk over to the bookcase and put the book in its place on the shelf. It is, for me, a moment of pure joy.

Life can be tough. Moments of pure joy can be few and far between. Sometimes, all you can ask for is five good minutes in the course of a really harrowing few months. That's okay, though. Even the toughest times will end. The season will pass. And in the meantime, there's that five good minutes to get you through.

In my life there are a few things that are guaranteed to give me that moment, no matter what else is going on in my life. Holding that first copy of a book is one. Having lunch with my two daughters is another. And taking my granddaughters to the library is yet another. Even with the arguing, (But I want "Hercules" this time!) whining (But Ooma, she got Hercules last time) and bargaining (Why can't we get two books each? We promise we won't lose one this time!!) spending time with those girls and watching them fall in love with books will always bring a moment of happiness. It never fails.

What about you? What things in your life are guaranteed to make deliver five good minutes, no matter what else is going on at the time?