What a fun whirlwind the past few days have been. Thank you to all of you who’ve expressed an interest in my book. I promise I won’t post about it all the time, but based on feedback from a few fabulous followers, I’ve decided I’ll blog about the book once a week under the title “Surviving Sue: Peek Inside”. That way, you can scoot on by if the topic is tiresome or dig in to join me in conversation about tidbits from the book. Deal?
I was blessed to have several ‘beta-readers‘ – those beloved souls who read because we ask them to, often without any forewarning or protective gear. Not even a box of tissues or emergency chocolate. 😉
Because I still carry my social scientist self within me (the person who enjoyed lengthy qualitative research when I was in higher ed) I LOVED receiving feedback about recurrent themes nestled within the pages of “Surviving Sue“. Writing can be a trip down lonely street…for a very long time without tidbits of input. A long, solitary slog…never-ending. Until…you’re brave enough, or clueless enough (I’m joking!) to ask for “other eyes” on your paper…
Feedback from treasured readers? Oh yes. They’ll point out the wayward trails and dead-end paragraphs and ask questions, mostly with a gentle touch but sometimes with just enough bite that you know you need to ‘nose to grindstone’ errr…keyboard for the greater good.
As I received feedback from my friends Wynne and Linda, themes emerged. Some intentional but I’m not gonna fib. Some? Serendipity at work because I needed the words, one page at a time (occasionally one paragraph at a time) to guide me. Here are some of the themes recurrent in “Surviving Sue”:
- Understanding complicated family members – finding ways to love them anyway
- Tending to unresolved childhood pain when it follows us into adulthood
- Rethinking our parents as people; fractured souls doing their best
- Secrets and lies and how the weight of distortion impacts mental health
- Parenting disabled children and the stress on parents
- Advocacy and allyhood for developmentally, intellectually and physically disabled persons
- Humor in the midst of madness; developing resiliency despite lunacy and lies
- Dads and daughters and special survival bonds
- Sister love and the care and keeping of those who are most fragile
- In plain sight: Helpers ARE everywhere; heroes and cavalry
- Elder care navigation and the challenge with comorbid conditions – physical, mental health and more
- Grace and patience; staying strong despite physical and emotional abuse
Do any of these jump out at you from an interest point of view? YOUR feedback is welcome. I look forward to sharing a peek inside “Surviving Sue” once a week…right here on Victoria Ponders…and I sure hope you’ll join me.
One last, important thing before you go: My post on Heart of the Matter today provides insight about one of my favorite psychiatrists and her thoughts about love and fear. I would never have been able to write “Surviving Sue” without her help.
Vicki 😊
Victoria Ponders 
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