Many friends expressed their happiness for me recently due to one of my short stories being accepted for publication in a local literary magazine. The magazine is called Grassroots and is put out by Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Having close to 400 kind people show their pride and joy in my being published means such a remarkable amount. Throughout my life’s story this will be the ninth time a writing of mine has seen the light of being published.

Gratitude is a good thing. My heart overflowed and overflows with gratefulness that anyone cares that I write anything at all. Not one person had to say “Congratulations!” to me. Yet many did just that. Everyone could’ve scrolled past my excited facebook post and chosen to keep on scrolling. Yet they did not. My friends wanted to express their pride in the accomplishment. I’m humbled by their expressions.

Let us not…