Saturday, April 19, 2008

you should be sitting for this

Well. Perhaps I was due. Because I just got a huge dose of happy. I've signed with a literary agent who believes in my memoir and wants to try and find a publisher for it! I told Mom I wasn't going to blab about it on the blog, because I don't want to seem unprofessional. But the way life happened today - well, I just changed my mind.

She called yesterday at around - um - 2:25 and 45 seconds? And from that moment, I lost all sanity. My poor brother called seconds later and felt concerned that I would hyperventilate. I almost forgot my children at school, and that's when the sanity really took a turn for the dark side. I got them home safely but continued to ignore them while I called people and let out all the squeals that I had promised my family I would contain while actually speaking on the phone with the agent.

By evening I started to notice something. John wasn't himself. Usually easy-going, he had suddenly developed a very short fuse with his younger brothers. When I invited Drew along on the trip to McDonalds that was supposed to have just been John and I, John grimaced and held his fingers in his ears the whole way there (Drew was reciting original poetry).

I decided to watch and listen for a while before I talked to him about the sudden attitude. But in my head, it had already begun. The inevitable tailspin of our lives because I put my career above the care of my family. I had acquired a New York literary agent! And with it, the end of life as we knew it. We were going to be like the lottery winners who end up bankrupt with broken families. Yes. All of this because John held his fingers in his ears while Drew recited poetry. If you're shocked at my dramatic reaction to the events of my day, I have to ask - you have read this blog, right?

So here's the happy ending. I made banana bread. I'm not kidding. That's how everything became right again. It was this morning. We were out of milk, and I reached for a banana bread mix that John asked me to buy weeks and weeks ago but I had yet to whip up. Today, I baked it. The house smelled like Little House on the Prairie, and everything started turning. I went to take a shower while John devoured his breakfast, and eventually I heard a knock on the door.

"Yes, Baby?"

"Thank you for making banana bread, Mama. It was delicious! So thank you."

"You're welcome, John!"

And he's been himself all day. Goodbye Dateline sob story. Hello mother of the year.

14 comments:

Tanis said...

That's great news. So now that means your going to be the rich relatives everyone expects big presents from huh? Just kidding.

Lori said...

Congrats on getting an agent & even bigger congrats on being a Mom who knows what the true priorities are! I was honestly thinking about you yesterday & wondering when you would get a book deal. I was probably supposed to be praying for you not to faint when the agent called!! Hugs from our house to yours.

AmyB. said...

Congratulations! What fantastic news! I'm especially glad it didn't instantly turn John into a juvenile delinquent. I always think kids do better when they have more time to develop their delinquency; we rush everything now-a-days. :-)

Ink Flinger said...

Oops, that was me, not Amy. She would undoubtedly send just as huge a bunch of congrats, however!

Anonymous said...

As I was reading this a song called "Hallelujah" (this version was Jeff Buckley) was playing and I thought, what a PERFECT word for this moment!!! I am THRILLED for you Seren, I know good things are yet to come, woohoo!!
Luv
Tiffy

Felicity said...

I'm so happy!

Of course, the adventure is just beginning and already you're over-analyzing every moment. How am I going to find the time for this?! :)

caleb said...

In the very relevant words of Albert Einstein... "Vahoo" (well I don't know if he actually said that word, but he did in "IQ" which I am sure was totally historically accurate.)

Tumbleweed Joe said...

Way to go - squeels heard all the way to Chicago!

Anonymous said...

Congrats on finding an agent! I will most definitely be in line to read your memoir. I'm sure it is nothing less than stunning. I read your blog (found it via good girl lit) but I can't remember if I've said hello before. So hello and congrats and keep up the beautiful writing :)

Serenity said...

Natalie, thanks for commenting. It's such a wonderful compliment that you stumbled onto my blog and decided to keep checking in. I hope some publisher out there agrees with you about my writing!

And hey, Nate - from your mouth to God's ears.

Thanks to all you other wonderful congratulators, and Felic - you gotta hang in there at least a little longer. I don't know my agent well enough yet to make her take over on the maintenance of my emotions.

Tracy said...

What great news, Serenity! I have to start practicing my name-dropping. "Oh, that famous author, Serenity Bohon? She's commented on my blog before."

Valerie said...

I can't wait to get my hands on that book! Mom is anxiously waiting as well. I know it will work out. I love reading what you write. It is vivid and fun and wonderful!

Karen said...

Awesome! I'm so happy for you!!! I can't wait to buy your book one day. Your last line really made me smile. This is good stuff.

Anonymous said...

Congrats! I will buy the book and pass it around to my friends and family. I can certainly see why you were lost in the moment. However, there is nothing like the responsibility of being a mom to bring your feet back down to earth! Your boys are blessed!! Love,
Pam