Two Months Later: Grief and Gratitude
Hi friends, it’s been a while since I wrote a blog post, so I thought maybe it was time to stop procrastinating.
A lot has happened since Rán’s Daughters released in March. Some things were good, like our family’s lovely visit to Tuscany in April to see my in-laws beautiful new house near the historic city of Lucca.
Other events were not so good. We lost my husband’s beloved grandmother very suddenly at the beg of April, and the grief has been deep. We were very fortunate to attend the funeral in the Netherlands, alongside all of the extended family. It was a bittersweet time, and I’m so grateful we could visit. Oma was a brilliant and precious light and she was like my own grandmother. I will carry her memory always.
In the midst of grief, there were bright spots, like my book lauch. Held on April 1 at my international community club, and attended by friends from my writers’ group and my regular book club, it was a night to celebrate and welcome Gyda and her Daughters to the world. I got to debut my Viking Dress!
It’s May now with June just around the corner. We have had a sunny spring with gorgeous cool weather, and now summer creeps in. This past Sunday, my Writers’ Group met at the “Iroquois” restaurant in the Seefeld area of Zurich to eat, catch up, and celebrate my launch of RD together. I had such a wonderful time with them and it reminds me that as authors and creatives, we need eachother now more than ever. With the dumpster fire of the US and….*gestures at everything*, well, we can’t isolate without the danger of all of us just falling apart. I’m so grateful for the community I’ve managed to build here.
This week, I also had the immense pleasure of meeting up with a new writing friend – Catarina Lilliehöök, whose debut novel THE SPIRIT DRAGON’S KEEPER -Book 1 of The Polar Saga, just released this month! Look at that awesome cover!! I can’t wait to dig into this book. Find a copy on Amazon.
In other news, I’ve taken up running again after a very long hiatus – almost 11 years! It’s been good to get back out there on the trails. My body is older, my aches and pains last longer, and my chronic illness makes it so that I have to slow down and listen more and push less. It’s been so healthy and an exercise in wonder. From where I was two years ago, with a fresh diagnosis and the fear I would never be pain-free again, to today with hardly any flares and a belief in my body again, my gratitude is expansive.
I also finished up my first Open University course, which will count towards my Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing and History. It’s been great to be back in school, after having left uni when I was 22 to move to Europe. It’s been a dream of mine for a long time to return to studies.
Next up for me is enjoying the summer. I’m prioritizing my friendships and my health, which feels very necessary with the fear and anger around the world currently.
All the best, stay safe and well, and may the wind fill your sails
Kaitlin