Periodically, I give presentations to various groups (book clubs, ladies lunches, chamber-related events, etc) and I currently select from two presentations:
Writing and Self-Publishing - I talk about my process, how I get ideas, why I chose self-publishing and the kinds of things you have to do to publish (things like that) and I read a scene from one of my books.
Boobs and Books - The first half of my talk is about breast cancer. I've had it twice and I talk about lessons learned, silver linings, my journey. My hope is that folks will learn something so they can be proactive in the breast care. The second half of my talk is about writing and self-publishing but it's an abbreviated version and I don't read a scene.
In January, I was asked to be a presenter at the Boerne Newcomers Club. I did my Boobs and Books presentation. I always start by asking the group if they know anyone who has had breast cancer or if they themselves have had it. Usually multiple hands go up. Well, the presentation went really well, there were lots of questions and people came up to me afterward to chat more about it.
About 3 weeks later, I received a text from a woman who was at the presentation asking if we could talk. I said of course and she called me. She told me that during the presentation, she had raised her hand when I asked about knowing someone with cancer or having had it themselves because she had a friend who had recently had breast cancer.
She said she didn't realize that day how timely the talk would be because she herself had just been diagnosed with breast cancer. It was caught very early, stage 0, but we talked in more depth about the things I had covered in my presentation. She was grateful to me for the presentation and the things she learned that day, and for the fact that I took time to speak with her once she was diagnosed.
I reached out to her a week ago to see how she's doing and I'm happy to say she's recovering well. Her spirits are high and she's doing things like meditation, yoga, and walking when she experiences moments of anxiety. She has a wonderful tribe that surrounds her and lifts her up as she walks this journey.
To me, helping others and extending a hand is what it's all about. Sure, I love it when people buy my books and tell me how much they enjoy each one. But I am grateful that through my books I have been given a means, a platform as it were, to help others like this sweet woman.
There are so many ways we help others, many times without even realizing it. What a gift, right?