Two Feet High and Rising

Children, Turkey and Pumpkin Print from Art.com

If I were to list all that I am grateful for and then print it out, the length of the paper roll would be considerable. But here are the top ten highlights:

1. My family, most of whom will be at my house on Thursday. They keep me grounded but give me great dish to work in my fiction ... even though they never guess which character they are!
2. My son who not only makes me believe in pirates and super heroes, but who is my most profound spiritual teacher. Right now he calls me his Sleeping Beauty princess, even though I tell him that there is a little girl somewhere out in the world who will grow up to his special princess. (Which will then make me the Queen!) He insists I'll always be his princess and while I know what's coming down the road, he'll always be the Prince Charming of my heart.
3. My husband who from the first time I showed my first script in college has been my greatest fan. He was my first Prince Charming and after 15 years together, he has now grown into a king.
4. My mom and my mother-in-law who show me how to be generous and the dignity of being of service to others.
5. My dad who taught me to think for myself and when to keep my mouth shut and when to speak up.
6. The new babies in my family who are on the way or who have already arrived. You remind me that magic and miracles are not just in stories.
7. Domenika Lynch for entrusting me with her and her family's story of coming to this country. When I wrote the pilot and treatment for the series, I felt her mother looking over my shoulder and telling me, "I'd never say that but I'd definitely wear those shoes!"
8. Michael Wortsman who trusted me enough with the pilot script and series treatment and then took it to his contacts at HBO. Not only that, he gave me a raise and opened the door to possibilities I never would've considered before.
9. Barbara DeMarco Barrett for recommending me to Gary Phillips to be included in the upcoming anthology, Orange County Noir.
   
10. All the people who have advised me that The Ballad of Aracely Calderon is not quite what it could be. Their challenge has shown me what it means to persevere and to believe in something that other people can't see.