Dear Readers,
I am writing this on a historic day—the first precious doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are being given to a few lucky health-care workers around the United States, the first vaccinations of many to come.
It is nothing short of a miracle.
Some of you have asked me throughout this year how I’ve been able to write lighthearted fiction when the world seems to have been coming down around us.
It hasn’t been easy. There were times when I opened my computer gritting my teeth. When I’ve stared helplessly out the window, unable to type a word. When there wasn’t a drop of humor left in my brain to squeeze onto the page. When I wondered if what I was doing day after day made any difference at all in a world that has seen so much tragedy in the past year.
But then I thought of the kind messages I’ve gotten when something I’ve written has made someone smile.
That’s a simple thing. A smile, and a little time to escape into a place where your worries fade for just a little while.
My mom used to tell me when I was sad or upset, “Pick up a book.” Yes, she didn’t exactly say, “write a book.” But you get the message, which I still take to heart.
It ultimately became therapeutic for me to escape into a wonderful, sunshine-filled world. Where your friends have your back, where your family might drive you up the wall but know you better than anyone, and where you just might rediscover the love of your life. And where somebody always provides a quip or two (intentionally or not) to make you laugh.
This book was written as a love letter to you. Thank you for choosing to read it! I pray that by the time this is in your hands, we are out of the worst of this pandemic. That we can now visit our friends, hug our family, and head to the grocery store without shaking a little inside.
I pray for you and for everyone who has suffered hardships, big and small, this past year. And I will continue to do so as our world struggles to regain its balance and our lives slowly return to normal.
In the meantime, we can still have a laugh to lighten the load. And love will always go on.
Miranda
December 2020