Yesterday, five author friends and I met at the lovely Laguna Beach Books bookstore for a joint young adult and middle grade book signing. We had a fantastic time talking with readers. I met a librarian from Corona del Mar who was wonderful. My sister came from Las Vegas to buy even more copies of my book.
But there was one thing that really stood out. My sixteen year old son had a water polo tournament all weekend, which was located almost an hour north from us. I knew his games would prevent him from attending the signing, so I wished him luck in the morning and told him I'd see him late that afternoon.
Near the end of the signing, just as we were about to clean up, he rushed into the store (he's now driving) with a wad of crumpled up one dollar bills in his hand. He was wearing his water polo sweats, his hair was still wet in places. He smelled like chlorine.
"Mom," he said. "Am I too late to buy a book from you? Can you still sign one for me?"
He opened his hand. There were fourteen dollars there, not quite enough to buy the book.
"I don't have enough, do I?" he asked.
I quickly found my purse and gave him my credit card. He walked to the cashier with the book. When he came back, he handed it to me. "I left the last game early to get here, " he told me. "Will you write something good?"
So I did. And then I wiped the tear from my eye.
But there was one thing that really stood out. My sixteen year old son had a water polo tournament all weekend, which was located almost an hour north from us. I knew his games would prevent him from attending the signing, so I wished him luck in the morning and told him I'd see him late that afternoon.
Near the end of the signing, just as we were about to clean up, he rushed into the store (he's now driving) with a wad of crumpled up one dollar bills in his hand. He was wearing his water polo sweats, his hair was still wet in places. He smelled like chlorine.
"Mom," he said. "Am I too late to buy a book from you? Can you still sign one for me?"
He opened his hand. There were fourteen dollars there, not quite enough to buy the book.
"I don't have enough, do I?" he asked.
I quickly found my purse and gave him my credit card. He walked to the cashier with the book. When he came back, he handed it to me. "I left the last game early to get here, " he told me. "Will you write something good?"
So I did. And then I wiped the tear from my eye.
10 comments:
AHHHH!!! That is SO SWEET! Wow...what a beautiful image.
Oh Kathryn
Your boys are SO SWEET. I am also wiping a tear from my eye. Isn't it beautiful when all the pieces of your life come together to form such sweetness.
Here's to many more of these moments!
ah. You made me cry.
What a sweetie.
And, oh my, I just enlarged the picture and WHAT A HANDSOME BOY!
Sweet and handsome.
Did I ever tell you I have a very cute fifteen-year-old daughter?
:)
Thank you Beth and Lori and Sally, for leaving such nice comments. And Sally, I didn't know you had a daughter that age, too! I bet she's a sweetheart.
That is such a great story-I loved it! You have wonderful children!:)
Wow. What a kid!
Kathryn,
Thank you for sharing this beautiful story!
I met you (along with my friend Fiona) at the LA Writers Day. We shared with you what an inspiration your "story" has been to us- both the book itself, and the story behind how you developed as an author.
This particular blog post gives me hope that maybe maybe I may have a book published someday, but more importantly, it reminds me that what I desire more than anything on earth is to have a relationship with my three little boys (8,6 and 3) that could evolve into them driving miles with one dollar bills wadded up in their hands to make my day!
Thanks for showing me that writing and mommying can go hand in hand:)
Rosalind Oliver
Thank you for leaving such nice comments on this blog post. You all are very kind.
This post speaks volumes. I LOVE that he came to see you, wadded up dollar bills and all! And that he asked you to write in it. This is truly priceless and is what life is all about.
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