Life Acks

It’s spring here in the Lower Mainland. True, we technically have a few days to go according to the calendar, but the blossoms are blooming, the allergies are making us drippy and sneezy, and the weather changes every few minutes between dark, grey deluge and clear blue skies dotted with puffy little white clouds. Spring indeed. In keeping with my last post and the season, there’s love in the air.

In the aftermath of the devastation in Japan, I’ve found myself holding the people I love closer than ever lately.

My friend Deb captured the feeling exactly on her blog recently: And when people have nothing left, they don’t wander around searching for their wallets or employee badges – they look for children, parents, brothers and sisters; friends. They look for the people they love, and who love them, because at the end of the day, that is all anyone wants–to love and be loved.

I’m pretty good at remembering to let the people in my life know they’re important to me, but like most of us, I get caught up in the general busyness of life and don’t always think of it. I’m paying closer attention to making the effort these days.

As I mentioned in another recent post, some of my writing friends have had good news lately in their writing careers. Among my Compuserve Books & Writers Forum friends and acquaintances, the good news keeps on coming. It’s inspiring, and one night I got thinking about all the people who contribute to our successes, the ones we’d thank, given the opportunity, on an acks page in our books. Whether you’re a writer or not, it’s an interesting exercise. Who belongs on your acks page? Have you told them what they mean to you? If you haven’t, what’s holding you back? Go. Tell them.