The first NaNo week went great, with almost 18,000 words written. This second week was not so good.
Why? Because life, or in this case, death happens.
The relative I was caring for passed away on Sunday, putting an end to her long battle with cancer. While we all felt sad, we couldn’t help feeling a sense of relief that she is now out of pain, and that Jesus took her home to the place where there is no more sickness and no more tears.
This week I made an effort to write when I could, partly because I needed a distraction from what we were facing. What I didn’t anticipate was the profound fatigue I would battle, and how busy we would all be. Arrangements and cleaning and calling family and friends consumed my time and energy, leaving little room for anything else.
So I had to come to grips with the fact that I won’t be winning NaNo this year. Still, I’m halfway done with my novel, and have set the goal to finish it by Christmas. I’m glad I gave NaNo a shot. My relative was also glad I tried it. She was the kind of person that didn’t like to give trouble to anyone. She wanted me to continue my writing and “not bother” about her. She didn’t realize what an honor it was to serve her in her final days.
She also didn’t realize what an inspiration she was. Even when hospitalized, she continued to study to try to finish her degree, to fulfill her dream of getting an education. She didn’t allow the cancer to get in the way of working toward her goals.
I’ll always think of her when my writing bogs down, and be inspired to press on.
What about you? What people have encouraged you to work through difficult times to achieve your goals?