Justine Manzano Note to my readers: This blog is a little late. That would be because I was suffering my last month with a computer that quit on me. But I’m back now, with a working model, and a blog that was more timely two weeks ago. Ah well…consider it the obligatory holiday post.
It’s that time of year! The time where families try to put aside petty grievances to eat dinner together (and usually fail), the time where we forget our diets, forget how long that drive to _________’s house is and do it anyway, the time where we kiss the behinds of everyone who’s behinds we should have been kissing all year, but forgot to in the shuffle of things (and the above-mentioned petty grievances, which usually are far outweighed by the good things).
So here I go, telling you the things I give thanks for. Be prepared. One day there will be an acknowledgements page in the back of a novel that looks something like this, but as that hasn’t happened yet, I figured I’d give it a whirl now.
There are plenty of people to thank, after all. So, to the following, I would like to say thank you:
– My husband, Ismael – I’m pretty regularly vocal about how awesome my husband is and that’s a pretty good place to start. Ismael deserves a pat on the back simply for putting up with me at my worst, which he does with grace and strength, but also for being my co-writer. I almost feel guilty signing off on anything as purely my work when every single idea goes through an Ismael screener session. If life was a romantic comedy with me as the lead, you would be my perfectly imperfect love interest and hero.
– My son, Logan – I couldn’t have created a more perfect comedic foil if I had tried. Though you are only four years old, you already have the makings of an amazingly frustrating teenager and an amazingly lovely human being. My little smart alec – I’m gonna enjoy every minute of raising you. Love you!
– My parents, in good times and in bad times, thank you for teaching me to laugh at life and for making me exactly who I am today. I like me, so that is very important.
– Mel and Jon aka big sis and bro – I could not have asked for a better pair of partners-in-crazy than you two. Thank you for taking me to a movie and to get ice cream on the days I decided I was running away from home. Thank you Mel for planning fight scenes with me in all their ridiculousness and Jon for being my first critic – important lessons were learned.
– D and Kristy for not only being great significant others for my siblings, but for being great friends to me.
– Manny and Helen, Miriam and Luis – Ismael’s screwball family. I was blessed with you guys. Every one of you provide your own particular brand of inspiration. You have no idea.
– Jeannie and Genaro (my sister-in-law and my nephew) – Your strength, determination and your ability to reinvent yourselves at a moments notice makes me realize what people can truly be capable of. Genaro, even at 14, your physical tenacity is a sight to behold. You keep chasing your dream like that, I’ll keep learning from you.
– My protege (and Ismael’s), Megan (aka little sis) – That’s right. I’m going to call you my protege. Feel free to argue against that, but I like to be dramatic, so that’s what I’m going to call you. And despite the fact that you can probably kick my ass, I’m gonna keep it up. (Yes, that IS a challenge.)
– My best friends, Joy and Allegra, who, each in their own way, provide me with support for all of my ills, a shoulder to cry on, someone to celebrate with, and generally act as my saviors in my daily life. Without you and the boys I would be more of a mess than you think. Really.
– My online crew. Though you may rotate in and out of my life, and some of you were once real time friends, but we don’t get much time together anymore (Sean, I’m talkin’ to you!) but one thing remains consistent. If you are someone who I share more than idle conversation with online, if we have discussed deeper topics, shared more about our families, about our lives, than you have impacted me and my writing world in ways you can not even begin to imagine. I wish I could teleport to each of your houses and smish you all. You know who you are.
– My actual work crew. To Ulana and Karen, Lee and Heather, Carol and Gina, Kathleen, Nicole, and Stephen, to all of my bosses, and all of the people around the office who share with me and provide me with support each and every day. I know it’s not perfect, but I have been blessed with a workplace where people care, really genuinely care, and that’s tough to come by.
– The rest of the Minners and Manzano families. Though you are more distant, you guys are always providing me and my husband with love, support, and the occasional character studies. 😉
– Annamarie and Rino, who provide us with the house we live in. Thanks for seriously being the best homeowners ever. We owe a lot to you and we know it, and you provide us with a roof over our heads so we can continue doing all of the other stuff we love doing. Plus, your kids are adorable and awesome and you make pretty great friends too!
– Dawn, for taking flawless care of my pride and joy when we can’t be home with him. You spend so much time with him and play such an important role in raising our son. We couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you so much, again, for everything you do, especially as we get him ready for school (GASP!) next year!
– Harvey for giving me my first chance, my first ever fiction publication. Thank you for seeing the strengths in my story.
– Hannah and the Sucker team, for coaching me as a writer and for welcoming me to join the staff of Sucker Literary. I love working for the magazine and look forward to next year’s promotion of Issue 3 (and the search for more stories for Issue 4, if you’ll have me).
– And finally, my readers, be it here, the people who retweet and favorite my Work In Progress Quotes on Twitter, the people who follow me on Facebook, the people who post feedback on my fanfiction, or anybody who has looked at my writing online. You guys keep me doing what I love doing.
It’s been a tremendous year, with lots to appreciate and more than enough joys to be had.
Please pop by again next week for my mid-month post, where I discuss Bad Guys…and how to make them as important to your story as your Hero.
Until then, Happy Holidays!!!