My first career ambition in life was to be a writer. I distinctly remember writing my first story in the first grade. It was the tale of a cat that ventured away from the comforts of home only to find himself lost on the mean streets of suburbia. The saga was seven sentences long and spoiler alert- the cat was reunited with his family. It was aptly titled “The Lost Cat”.

The memory of that day still brings me joy. I wrote the story on a giant computer in my dad’s home office. He taught me how to type and how to log on to the computer using backslashes and .win in the green font that those of us growing up in the 80’s know well.

There are only three acceptable career paths when you are raised by Persian parents; Doctor, Lawyer or Engineer. When it came to choosing a major in college eleven years later, Author, was not on the menu. It was then that writing became a hobby. With time it became less and less of a priority.

When my daughter was younger and struggling to cope with divorce and all of it’s nuances, I scoured bookstores and the web for books she could relate to. I was dismayed at the lack of material available for kids her age that told stories of children with single parents, split households or blended families. I did find several children’s picture books that quickly took up residence on our bookshelf. They soon became worn from use and as she grew older our hunger for material only grew.

A spark was ignited but I quickly allowed it to dim. The spark to not only pursue my dream of being a writer but to write relatable material for my daughter and other children with her life experiences. It wasn’t until my husband asked me what I wanted to do for “me”, several years later, that I actually gave myself the space to step outside of my role as a wife, mother, stepmother, daughter, friend, sibling, employee etc. You name it, I’d submerged myself in it.

After some soul searching and encouragement from my husband, I decided to re-ignite the spark. Writing would be what I did for “me”. The craft I’d enjoyed before the world told me who to be would be my creative outlet. It’s what propelled me to write my first manuscript. A manuscript which would become the first book in a series titled “The Sister Wars”. It’s what led me to create this website and blog. It’s what hopefully led you here. Maybe, just maybe, my love for writing will become more than a hobby. Maybe it will resonate with my daughter, my stepdaughter and YOU.

Is there something you’ve always wanted to do? A dream you’ve put on hold? Follow your heart and it could just be the greatest adventure you’ve been on yet!

 

 

Pictured: Skye (age 3)

Photo Cred: Amir Shirazi

Location: Powell’s Books, Portland OR