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Happy Holidays all you Beautiful Waterfall Seekers!
Wanted to let you know that you are all recipients of my first official Year End Reflections Letter! [After a ten year break.] If successful, I might just have to make this a tradition! Next to my annual leaf pile picture which I have yet to apologize for. My neighbor is never home! I swear! But one creative reader did suggest I take a copy of the leaf picture and place it inside a thank you card and simply say, “Thank you for the leaves. Sorry I didn’t ask first.” Not a bad idea. So once I get this lovely letter out, I need to get on it.
As I was saying…
An “End of the Year” letter should tour the year’s highs and lows. A look back. A look ahead. A look at all that I’ve plunged my readers into and a sneak peak at the dives we’ll take together in 2012!
Many of you sent me off to St. Louis with prayers and well wishes as I attended my first writing conference. In case you missed my Bollywood length recap of four days and nights in St. Louis, you can peruse the post titled “Fortunately…Unfortunately..” Then as I began to search for my writing voice, I found more strange things happening to me…almost daily. So I just had to write about them. With the exception of that one day when I had “Writer’s Block.”
Thank you for keeping me company in “First Kiss” as you sat in Traffic Court with me and discovered that you meet the most fascinating people en route to prison. Wendy’s too. You read “Operation Y.T.” before taking a midnight munchies run and “Popcorn, Reeces Pieces, Cherry Coke…Action” before you went to the movies. If you skipped those stories, don’t say I didn’t warn you!
Thank you for keeping me company in “First Kiss” as you sat in Traffic Court with me and discovered that you meet the most fascinating people en route to prison. Wendy’s too. You read “Operation Y.T.” before taking a midnight munchies run and “Popcorn, Reeces Pieces, Cherry Coke…Action” before you went to the movies. If you skipped those stories, don’t say I didn’t warn you!
You spent time with my princesses, which was often precious and insightful as in “Burp-Talk and Cowinkadinks” or stressful and overwhelming as in “Tooth Fairy Blues” and sometimes downright criminal as in “Confessions of Leaf Thief.”
I’m pretty sure the guy who wrote about me in “Busted in a Good Way” didn’t check my real life resume before Jim Rubart published his article. But we’ll just keep the madness to ourselves, shall we?
You met my hubby – who brought balance to my madness and many an upside-down day. You learned that the man I married is romantic as seen in “Window of Opportunity”, compassionate as reflected in “I know a boy who…”, but still very human as written in “Livin’ in a Material World.” You even took a virtual tour of our homemade treehouse built by my hubs and our friends in “If You Build it, They will Come”.
Many of you cried with me as I shared the two most popular posts of the year: “A Thank You Said and a Thank You Heard” and “Pink Boxing Gloves,” stories of lost and found and my baby sister’s fight against breast cancer. “A Man and His Ocean” introduced you to my second Papa.
During the holidays, you allowed me to vent about my anxiety over traditions and expectations in “To Turkey or Not to Turkey” and “Confessions of a Sorta, Kinda, Not Really Grinch.” And you let me to ask you the question: “What are you looking for?” in “Seek and Seek.”
Thank YOU from the top of my waterfalls to the bottom of my oceans for swimming with me through my first few months of the dream. My dream to be a writer! I hope to take you on plenty more waterfall adventures in 2012 as we search for glimpses of grace in everyday life. I also plan to give my beloved readers some sneak peaks at my fiction and the novels I aspire to publish. So make sure to visit weekly to get your read in and pass on the Blog to all your friends and family who are looking for a fresh, masala-marinated story in the new year!
Love you guys!
Sincerely,
Rajdeep “call me Raj” Paulus
Tales from a Masala-Marinated Mama!
A lovely letter Raj! I look forward to getting to know you and your writing!!! Here’s to a literary year ahead!!!
Selene
Wow! Thanks Coaches!! Really appreciate all the feedback!! Looking forward to spending lots of sweaty minutes with both of you in 2012!! 🙂
Great Stuff, Raj. Your writing has soul and energy in every you put down. I look toward to reading more, and taking your adventures with you.
Many Blessing,
Call Me Coach RahZ 🙂
Raj What a great letter to the end of the year. You are amazing. I love reading your posts. Keep them coming. You are truly inspirational. Keep writing, i’ll keep reading as i am sure many others will. All the best in 2012!
Thanks so much Teresa!! <3 <3 What sweet and encouraging words!! love you guys too!!
what an excellent end of year letter. thanks for including me in the mailing. truly i am not a blog reader, i just can’t get into ‘them’. when i read your posts i feel uplifted, inspired, entertained, and full of love which is quite different from what i get out of other blogs. i bless your writing pursuits and the gift Father G~d has given you to do so. go forth and prosper Raj. many blessings to you and your beautiful family.