It was horrible. Truly, I had not realised that there was such a lot of hatred out there. But I had also not realised that there was so much love. And the love by far outshone everything. The love came pouring in. Like sunshine. Like light.
So, in the darkness of winter, at the ending of a year I'll be grateful to leave behind, I want to say thankyou. I asked for help from my friends, and you came. You helped. You gave me the gifts of love and time, and I love and thank you for them.
I haven't said thankyou until now because hard on the heels of the above, I lost three great and good friends. Lost is such an inadequate word. It implies I laid my friends down and cannot find them. Which, in a way is sort of true, but I would never have chosen to lay them down. Never. And in a strange way, I can find them. Safe in my heart. Beloved.
But, as you can imagine, when the bells ring in the New Year, along with looking towards the future, whatever it may bring, a large part of me is looking backwards, to people I have loved dearly who will not be travelling alongside.
So. A New Year wouldn't be the same without some resolutions. For these, I commend you to the Tobermory Kitten, and her fluff-brained ideas for her new, improved 2013.
I resolve to spend some of my spare time winding up rats. So predictable, but such fun. 
3 comments:
As my life has been too busy to keep up properly with my blog rolls, I somehow managed to miss the whole Catgate post. Bugger.
Having had to deal with my own fair share of horridness-of-a-professional-nature this past year, I really do empathize and I'm sorry you've had to bear this. Nobody should, really.
A big cyberhug, with all the force I can muster, and here's to a new year for both of us.
Hi Debi,
I've only just read all of this and I am appalled. I do hope you are having a better year.
I came to your website because I have just been recommending one of your books to an American on-line book club that I have been in for years - one of the ladies wanted recommendations for her great grandson (no, I am not that old myself, even if I feel it...) and I suggested Mr Bear Comes to the Rescue, as I remembered how much my son (now 20) loved it. She was keen to get it but says she can't find it in the US. I still have our copy, maybe I will be strong and send it to her!
My children and I got so much pleasure from your books. There are horrible people out there but they really are in a minority. I know that when I have received the slightest nasty comment on Twitter I have felt dreadful, but I plough on because I've also made some wonderful friends through it (and even met them in 'real life') & heard about all sorts of (mainly book-related) things that would otherwise have passed me by.
Good luck with your books, and with life in general. You made the world a funny, interesting, comforting place for my 3 children - it's a shame there's not more money in that, but if I were you, I'd be very proud.
Best wishes, Rosemary
PS I also live in East Lothian, have only been here a year or so - wonderful area, though I still miss Aberdeenshire (originally from London, don't miss that!)
Hi Debi,
I've only just read all of this and I am appalled. I do hope you are having a better year.
I came to your website because I have just been recommending one of your books to an American on-line book club that I have been in for years - one of the ladies wanted recommendations for her great grandson (no, I am not that old myself, even if I feel it...) and I suggested Mr Bear Comes to the Rescue, as I remembered how much my son (now 20) loved it. She was keen to get it but says she can't find it in the US. I still have our copy, maybe I will be strong and send it to her!
My children and I got so much pleasure from your books. There are horrible people out there but they really are in a minority. I know that when I have received the slightest nasty comment on Twitter I have felt dreadful, but I plough on because I've also made some wonderful friends through it (and even met them in 'real life') & heard about all sorts of (mainly book-related) things that would otherwise have passed me by.
Good luck with your books, and with life in general. You made the world a funny, interesting, comforting place for my 3 children - it's a shame there's not more money in that, but if I were you, I'd be very proud.
Best wishes, Rosemary
PS I also live in East Lothian, have only been here a year or so - wonderful area, though I still miss Aberdeenshire (originally from London, don't miss that!)
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