This is directly from the beginning of the book, Love, Care and Share:
Preface
While preparing to write the book, I booked a trip to Cuba at a remote resort on the peninsula of Cayo Coco to centre myself. To sit in a lawn chair, stare at the stars, gaze at the ocean, read the “Autobiography of a Yogi,” eat fresh lobster on the beach, ride a scooter around the peninsula, and walk along the shore to find my inner spiritual strength. I needed clarity to make some extremely important decisions before embarking on this impending commitment ahead of me.
My youngest sister, Julie, came along; we had initiated this work together three years ago after my mother’s passing. Now it was time to blow more wind into the sail of this labour of love. My fun, loving sister would also bring lots of depth to the book.
One of the decisions was how to find an editor to help me piece the book together.
Whether you view serendipitous occurrences in your life as mere coincidences, I have learned, just as my Mom had often called it, that “Godincidence” was at work on my flight to Cayo Coco.
When I took my aisle seat next to a couple, I thought, “Good, a quiet couple to sit beside and just read my book.” For the first hour it was just that and then we connected, started discussing the woman’s interior design business (among her other creative work) and my lighting business. We talked about my love of reading spiritual books, the importance of family and love. When I mentioned my impending writing project, I realized that I was randomly seated beside a published author who was an editor and an independent publisher.
Holy smokes! What are the odds of that?
I had a great flight down talking to Tanya Freedman and her husband, Austin, who also weighed in with his life coaching and counseling experience.
Time Flies When You’re Having Fun!
It was one of those, “Oh, we’re here, that was quick,” flights. You know the one, when you’re engaged in exciting and stimulating conversation and time is nowhere in the experience. After our goodbyes, we went our own ways.
A week later in the airport I sat with my new green coconut leaf hat awaiting my flight to board. I saw Tanya. We exchanged business cards and promised to keep in touch with each other. On the plane I made my way down the aisle, and wouldn’t you know it, again I was seated beside her. Now what are the odds that out of the hundreds of seats, on the same day and same flight number that my allocated seat would be next to her, on both flights?
Now get this one too; Tanya’s birthday is the same as my mother’s, May 14th.
If that was not enough, when we exchanged business cards, we realized the importance of the significance of birds in our lives. Tanya’s business logo has a delicate, multi-coloured hummingbird, her favorite icon of nature’s tiny miracle, while a strong eagle has always been part of my brand. Bald and golden eagles have always held special meaning to me. Amused, we chuckled at life’s many “Godincidences” at work.
My Reasons For Writing The Book
We embarked on a deeper discussion on this return flight about why I wanted – and felt compelled – to write this book, and I shared some of these stories with Tanya. As a result, despite her many various projects, she agreed to receive the writings I had already completed, so she could give me her opinion if the book was only for our family or if it had a bigger purpose. I assured her I was in control of my ego and she need not worry about offending me with any of her personal and professional responses.
Within a couple days, I emailed Tanya my completed sixty-two pages of the draft. And waited.
Finally, I got a phone call from her two weeks later. “I am all in with you on the book, Tom. It’s a really great story, and it’s so uplifting, well done. Your mother was one unique woman. We are going to do something wonderful together and share and celebrate her life with the world.”
So here we go!
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