How I Found My PIL
By Laura Bradford
I was ten years old when I decided I wanted to be a writer. I wanted to see my name on the spine of a book. I wanted to know that something I wrote would put a smile on someone’s face or help them escape for a little while just as so many authors had done for me.
It was my dream, my passion.
Years later, after working as a journalist and then having children, it was finally my time to chase that dream. I wrote, and I wrote, and I wrote. And, eventually, I landed my first three-book contract with a small publisher.
I was on my way…
I was doing it…
My first book released in June, 2005.
My second book released in March, 2006.
And then, while writing the third book in July of 2006 – when my daughters were just 7 and 11 – I was diagnosed with MS; the same disease I’d been watching my then mother-in-law battle for the past two decades.
Needless to say, finishing that third book was a struggle. And when I exhibited a brief slurring of my speech at a reader event, I wondered if my lifelong dream was over before it ever truly got off the ground.
But then I looked at my daughters, and I imagined what I’d want for them if they were in my position.
I’d want them to keep going.
I’d want them to believe in themselves.
I’d want them to keep reaching for their dreams.
And that’s when I found my purpose in life. To show my girls that life’s many obstacles are just that – obstacles. You may have to adjust, you may have to zigzag, but you always, always keep going.
I’m proud to say that later this year, my 36th and 37th books will be released. All but those first three pre-diagnosis books have been with major New York publishers. And my girls? They’re not only watching and seeing, they’re reaching for their dreams now, too.