I Missed My Anniversary

I can’t believe I missed my anniversary!

Well, actually, I can. My husband and I regularly miss our wedding anniversary — if it wasn’t for my mother-in-law calling to wish us a happy anniversary every year we’d never remember.

But I’m not talking about that one. I’m talking about the one of January 1st of 2004 — twenty years and nearly 11 months ago. Would you believe that is the date my very first book was published?

How could I have forgotten?

It was a momentous day for me, certainly.

I remember getting the box of books from my publisher on December 23rd, 2003 — they sent me 25 copies just before the book came out. I was so excited! And then I was annoyed because my dedication was missing. I called my editor the next day to complain. She was annoyed that I had done so — on Christmas eve!!, but then, she was in the office — she then explained that the dedication was at the top of the copyright page. Weird place for it, but it was there. “This book would not have happened without the loving support and brutal honesty of my husband and the reluctant patience of my children.” I admit, it’s not as good as the one my mother wrote in one of her books (a non-fiction book on socio-linguistics), “This book is dedicated to televised ball games for keeping my husband entertained and leaving me time to write…”