Our Book’s 2nd Birthday

Our picture book, Mr. Quigley’s Keys, turned two on June 1st, so my beautiful mother-in-law took her copy to her social sorority for a read-aloud with her sisters.

Doesn’t it look incredible in her hands? At 88, Ruby has suffered a lot of losses, both of her sisters, many of her friends, even a son, and yet she’s still out and about, serving others and mobilizing compassion. When she told me of her plans to share our story at their monthly meeting, I offered to send along an antique key for each of them, to remind them that they hold the key to empathy, compassion and kindness, and to encourage them to KEYp on telling their stories, because they have much to teach us about connections, life and love.

I’ve been thinking a lot about LOVE lately, about what it means not only to love, but to BE love. I came up with this acrostic for the #leadlap Twitter chat I led this past Saturday:

If you put LOVE into an acrostic, which four words would you choose?

And how do you make sure to love yourself well enough that you have something left to give to others? What does that look like? Sound like? Feel like?

I always have more questions than answers when I get to thinking, but I think if I’ve written a book that addresses love, then I’d best keep reflecting on what love means and how it becomes us.

Here are the other questions, in case you want to ponder with me.