Writing Became The New Love Of My Life

Life has a way of bringing you to places you would never have expected or planned for. It could be a new home, in a different state or country, a new friend, experience or a new career. I had two careers when I started writing, and didn’t even dream at that time that I would become a published author. As an executive of a manufacturing firm and artist with a painting a day blog, I didn’t have room for more, but my life brought me down a path that demanded something different. 

I had the storybook love story with my second husband who was the Love of My Life, then a tick bite, and an ultimate ALS diagnosis changed our lives forever. Art became a distant memory, my day job continued, but I also became a caretaker and medical advocate in search of a better diagnosis.

After I lost Tom, and could breathe again, I decided to write about our wonderful life so that I would not forget the precious times that we had together.  

Excerpt from Rose Colored Glasses:

Instead of painting, I chose to write, to document everything that happened in our lives, so that I would never ever lose any part of our love and our life together. This idea gave me a glimmer of hope for saving myself from an empty life. It felt like the right thing to do. Remembering was easier than I thought it would be. The memories flow easily, with time to think about what happened and to analyze it all.  It was hard to remember the tough times, and the pain and anguish we both had at different times throughout it all. But the memories are wrapped with care, tied with a double knot bow for safekeeping. They are a stunning gift of the good and the best times…

The writing cured me of my grief; it opened a new channel of creativeness that was stored inside me begging to be released from its prison.  I decided that if this could cure me, then perhaps it could help other people in the world going through same or similar situations. I knew immediately that the name of the book would be Rose Colored Glasses, seeing something in a positive way, often thinking it as better than it actually is.  I live my life every day with a positive attitude and love to see it rub off on the people I work with or meet, making the world a happier place, one person at a time.

I also wanted to raise awareness of Lyme disease and ALS, to gain support of these communities with their ongoing research for a cure. My message is strong to insure that people protect themselves, their family and pets from ticks which are everywhere in our world. Lyme disease can be prevented. In our case, the Lyme disease was the catalyst for ALS to occur. I hope my message will save lives too.

Writing my story was the easy part, compared to diving into the publishing world. I felt like I was taking a shower every day in everything you always wanted to know about publishing. There was so much to learn and do. I attended writer’s conferences, joined a writers group, took a writing class, read, researched and learned as much as I could.

There were many times that I wondered why am I doing this? I didn’t need to publish a book, but I needed to know that I could do it.

I needed to have a mission in life, a reason to be me again. Writing and learning about this bright new world gave me inspiration and camaraderie of fellow writers taking the same challenge. It became exciting and daunting at the same time, and it filled the blank pages of my life.

The road to actually getting published is an entirely different story; that I will write about soon. The thrill of being an author of a published book will never rub off of me. I believe the smile on my face should be entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest lasting smile from one single event, my book launch. 

I thought that was as good as it got, until I started getting reviews, five star reviews. I never imagined that I would receive five star reviews. I eliminated the thought of actually getting reviews from my mind so that I would not be disappointed.  I like to plan on the worst happening, and then be pleasantly surprised if it is better than I expected. I was not pleasantly surprised; I was flabbergasted, excited and proud of myself.

The reviews and feedback that I have received resonate with my intentions of sharing a message of love and positivity no matter what is happening in your life. I cherish all of the incredible positive feedback and validation of a mission accomplished with gold stars. I look forward to publishing my next book, which is in the works already. The Love of My Life is alive and well.

A sample of my reviews:

 This isn’t your Cinderella story of happily ever after June 21, 2018

This isn’t your Cinderella story of happily ever after, but a real story of true love. JoAnn Simon took me on a journey and I’m trying to look at my life with a new optimism. This is hands down one of the best books I have read this year.
In short, a story about love, illness, death and optimism.

 A hopeful, inspiring memoir August 29, 2018

Aptly titled, Jo Ann Simon’s story is not a depressing saga, but a hopeful, inspiring, authentic tale about how love can shine brightly, even in the darkest of the moments. Its message is sure to be healing and encouraging for people who have endured or are enduring similar circumstances. I laughed and cried along with the author, and highly recommend this heartfelt memoir. In sharing her story, Ms. Simon has given a gift of love and healing to others. It’s a reminder that life is filled with both love and hardship, and no matter what you are facing, a pair of rose-colored glasses might just do the trick to help you have the faith and hope you need to make it through another day.

 Hope and love August 27, 2018

Simon does a wonderful job of sharing her love and hope as she saw her husband struggling with his illness. Loved Simon’s imagery. “Enjoying experiences are like placing smiles in your pocket ” A great read for anyone who has lost a love one in any way and has to chose how to live their life.

 Fitting Title for a Courageous Memoir June 29, 2018

Ms. Simon tells her compelling story as she is thrust into the role of caregiver for a loved one. She bravely documents the highs and lows of this chapter of her life and provides inspiration for us all. In addition, she does an excellent job of providing information on the connection of ALS & Lyme Disease and the difficulties of navigating proper diagnosis and treatment.

—

Jo Ann Simon, a corporate executive, is a lifelong nutmegger, living in various locations in the Nutmeg state of Connecticut.  She is a constant traveler, exploring the world including her favorite country, Italy. When she is not traveling, Jo Ann loves spending time with her family, friends and her seven grandchildren.  Her day job running a company, painting fine art, gardening and writing fill in the blanks of her life.  Palm trees are essential in her personal landscape with beaches to match.

Find out more about her on her website https://www.joann-simon.com/

About Rose-Colored Glasses: A Memoir of Love, Loss and Hope

Dear Tom,
I’m back on Anna Maria Island… missing you.
But walking down these beautiful beaches reminds me of us and makes
me feel a little less far away from you. And that encourages me as I am writing our story.
Hopefully this will help other people who are feeling our pain too.
I love and miss you every day, darling.
Love,
Me

When he first saw me, Tom said that he would spend the rest of his life with me. To my surprise, he actually did. He was the love of my life. We shared a story that felt like a dream. Every moment was an adventure… and then Tom became ill.As his mysterious symptoms persisted we were hurtled through a maze of fear, tests, doubts and sorrow. But while doctors toyed with diagnoses- Lyme disease, ALS- we filled each day with joy, hope, good food, wine, music and travel.Even when death came to crush our storybook romance, we found that the human spirit is greater than the frailties of the body, greater than suffering and grief.

From the fateful tick bite on Block Island to central nervous system failure, to healing my grief and loss, I stayed afloat, upbeat, and connected to Tom through devotion, true love, and by donning my own special pair of rose-colored glasses.

Tags: featured, memoir writing, women writers

Category: Contemporary Women Writers, On Writing