A Timely Surprise

There was some excitement on the mountain this week.

Our family is vacationing at my in-laws’ cabin in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom like we have every year around the Fourth of July since they built the place 30 years ago. This year we came up on Sunday, but our oldest son stayed home in Connecticut to work. He drove up on Thursday to join us here. When he came, he brought the mail.

I was washing the dishes when my husband quizzically handed me this beautiful glossy magazine:

I knew the Woods Reader was going to publish a story I had submitted, but I didn’t realize it was going to happen so soon. I quickly dried my hands and flipped through to page 24, and there was my story! I was thrilled! The magazine is absolutely gorgeous. It only began last year, and it’s filled with all the things we love about the woods.

Incidentally, my story is about this cabin and the reasons we return to these woods again and again. I had written the first draft several years ago. I thought it would find a home elsewhere at that point. Little did I know, years–and many revisions–later, it would be nestled snuggly in amongst the pages of this beautiful publication. A better place indeed.

When you find your passion, keep working at it.

Even when it gets tough or mundane or doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.

The joy is in the journey.

And who knows what tomorrow holds?