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The Power of Friendship

There are good ships & wood ships, ships that sail the sea, but the best ships are friendships, may they always be—Irish proverb

This blog is dedicated to all of my friends. I’m not ignoring God and family who are precious to me, but friendship embraces a special place in my heart. My circles of friends now overlap since Colors of the Ocean has been published. Many came together at my Mallow Run launch party to celebrate the prolonged journey I/we’ve been on. I’ve known a few since I began writing my novel over 20-years ago!

Find a group of friends who challenge & inspire you; spend a lot of time with them, & it will change your life—Amy Poehler

Others, like Heartland Christian Writers, my critique group, I met along the path. It’s amazing how God puts the right people in your life at the perfect time. The year before I retired I was introduced to a leading member of this group and invited to join. Not only did they guide and teach me so much, but provided inspiration, and were gentle in their critiques (and my ignorance!)

Anything is possible when you have the right people there to support you—Misty Copeland

Further along the trail, I met new friends in a Bible study life group. Although they had no idea how to write or publish a book, they were a tremendous resource of support through prayer and encouragement.

Then there’s my eclectic circle of pickleball friends who always cheer me on—even when I win a game against them. Their enthusiasm kept me motivated and sane during long periods of waiting. Fellow authors know what I mean! One of these friends even took pictures for my author photo, which is on my back book cover, website, and social media. He also used his photography skills during the book launch to capture special moments. You can contact Mike Alvey at: michael@alveycreative.com.

Not forgotten are my long-distance mates in California where I grew up. We’ve known each other from anywhere between 30-60 years! We’ve stuck together through valleys of tears, broken roads and hearts, but also the joy of mountaintop vistas and wonder of open seas. This circle of treasured friends are my safe harbor in a stormy world, my constant within the chaos of change. Let’s face it … we can’t do life without friends who are family. Although we couldn’t be together for the launch celebration, they were with me because each are a part of me. I always eagerly await the special times when we reunite, share and create more memories.

Our lives are best lived with genuine friends & great adventures

The Real Adventure

Although Colors of the Ocean is fiction, several locations within the story are actual places we visited during our 3-year voyage around the world in our sailboat. As I reread my trip journals and paged through photo albums, it made me realize how important it is to record events in our lives. Those tangible items share details of moments that can spark memories which may be accurate or a bit off the beam. As I wrote my book I found great pleasure in reliving portions of our cruising days, sometimes surprised by things I’d forgotten, and a few times grateful I was no longer going through those experiences!

However, my favorite memories from all those adventures were the people—sailors from all walks of life who became part of our cruising family; and immersion into the cultural diversity of Mexico and each island country. What I loved most about everyone we met was their kindness. We might speak different languages, eat different foods, and dress differently, but we were always greeted with warm smiles. Several times we were invited into a family’s home for a beverage or meal, or to attend their church or local festivities. They loved sharing, no matter how little they had and were content in their quiet, less complicated lives.

Those days that we dwelled among the island people gave pause for contemplation—for what was really important and for our purpose in life. It all really came down to one thing. Love each other. If enough people would do small acts of kindness, we could all make a huge impact in our world.

We can do no great things, only small things with great love

—Mother Teresa

Changes

To my Off the beaten path family,

I’m about to steer a new course to unfamiliar lands. My blog will soon be moving onto my author website. I’ll be keeping the same domain: cheryldfitzgerald.com which should make it easy to continue reading posts about my adventures. I’m sorry I haven’t written much recently, but there’s a very good reason—I’m in the process of having my novel published by Elk Lake Publishing. The contract was signed at Christmas. What a God-given gift! I’ll be sharing portions of my writing journey on this enhanced site. Please be patient as I transition to a new format. I’m a bit technologically challenged, but am slowly learning and working on designs. That part is actually fun! I’m currently in the middle of editing my manuscript and building my social media network. There’s lots going on! I’d appreciate it if would also follow me on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheryl-fitzgerald-8351b8327

May your seas be smooth & breezes gentle as you discover new paths along your own life journeys. See you soon with more tales, trails, & travails to share.