NEW BOOK! Here In The Middle: Stories of Love, Loss, and Connection From the Ones Sandwiched In Between

Say what you will about 2016, but one thing’s for sure: it has not been boring. In fact, it’s been a whirlwind of emotions, stress eating, and tears of all kinds. Adding to the excitement of the year is the fact that for the past 11 months, I’ve been working with Julie Jo Severson on a new book. That’s right, friends, A NEW BOOK! AND IT’S AVAILABLE TODAY! HERE IN THE MIDDLE IS OUT NOW! (Forgive my all-caps yelling, folks, but I’m just so freaking excited about this book!)

Aside from the hands-shaking, all-caps excitement, I’m just about bursting with gratitude for my co-author/editor Julie Jo Severson and the 30 others contributors to the book, who have poured their hearts out in this book and trusted us with their words and stories. Grateful just doesn’t begin to cover it, really.

So what is this book about?, you ask. Well, it’s about being “in the middle.” Notice I did not say “middle aged” – gasp! – because it’s not really about an age, as much as it is about being in the middle generation, sandwiched between aging parents and growing children. Being in the middle means different things for different people, and this book gives voice to a wide range of those perspectives. Whatever your specific situation, there is something for everyone in this book.

Below is an excerpt from my essay:

When I was nine years old, my grandpa—my mom’s dad—was in a plane crash. He survived, but many people on the plane did not. The event was unsettling, to say the least, and I had several questions. But as most children do, I asked questions in search of reassurance and relativity to my own life. What caused the crash? Would Grandpa be okay? Is it safe to fly? Why don’t all planes fall from the sky?

Over time, however, the crash receded into the backdrop of our family’s life and eventually the questions subsided.

Until recently.

Lately I’ve been asking the questions again, wondering, looking at the situation through a more introspective, grown-up lens. Perhaps the natural progression of life leads us to wonder about death and recognize life’s fragility. Or maybe it’s because my oldest son is 9 years old— the same age I was when the crash happened—and I’m in that poignant middle place as both daughter and mother.

You can read more about the plane crash and what being in the middle means for me now in this book, along with 31 other essays about what it means to be in the middle for other people. This book isn’t a self-help, advice-giving book about caretaking or managing finances as we get older; instead, it is a book that simply seeks to voice to a variety of perspectives to help readers find acceptance, solace, and understanding.

You can read more about the 32 contributors here. And you can get your very own copy delivered right to your doorstep from Amazon here. You can even buy a couple copies while sipping (guzzling?) your morning coffee or while surfing the web during a mid-afternoon conference call. Heck, you might even be able to check off a couple gifts on your holiday lists with this book and you don’t even need to put on real pants to do so. And you can order a signed copy here.

Thank you for reading, for sharing, and for being part of this journey.