THINGS IN MY WORLD I LOVE...

On this Valentine's Day, I love my husband. My day would be dark without his hard-won smile or his blue eyes or his patience and willingness to put up with me. He doesn't balk at making his own dinner because I got caught up in writing and didn't get to it. He (mostly) doesn't mind when I sit beside him at night with an open laptop. Or a book. And even when he gets mad, even if it's my fault, he doesn't hold a grudge. Without him, I wouldn't be able to write, because he is the strong backbone of every quiet hero in my stories.

I love my sons. Without them, I wouldn't know the joy of Taylor's smile or the wonder of Joshua's laughter. And I wouldn't know the meaning of true conflict, when my brain tells me it's okay to let them travel outside the safety of our home but my heart is terrified of all the dangers.

I love hugs from Taylor who towers over me and I love watching TV with Josh's head on my shoulder and his soft hair under my cheek. I love watching hockey with my husband and the smile he gets when I know the theme song to Hockey Night in Canada.

I love my parents for showing me the true meaning of love and marriage. And I love my brother for making me think and argue and laugh.

I love a good book with a happy ending, one that makes me sigh when I read the last page, itching to get my hands on the author's next book.

I love my writer friends, who commiserate with me over rejection letters and who celebrate every hardwon victory in this business. I love my girlfriends from high school, who know every one of my secrets and love me anyway.

I love seeing my name on the cover of a book and the email from my editor who said she loved my revisions.

And I love the sense of accomplishment I get when I type THE END.

Happy Valentine's Day