I believe that God has a plan for us all, but to those who have played an integral role in my life and helped guide me to the joy I know now—you will eternally be appreciated. That includes my immediate and extended family; the friends I’ve always considered family; Oprah Winfrey for her inspiration; Mike Fleiss, Lisa Levenson, and the Telepictures/Warner Horizon/ABC team for the once-in-a-lifetime chance at love; the rest of my Bachelor family; and the heavens above for both answered and unanswered prayers.
To all the parents who had their kids play along with the “What are you grateful for?” game . . .
To the sitters who kept my active kiddos company while I feverishly tried to meet deadlines . . .
To anyone who offered up their assistance for content that I just couldn’t seem to wrangle on my own (including Missy, Evin, Erik, Stephanie, Allie, Nathalie, Bernard, Tracey Casley, Amy, DeWayne, Jen, and Ellen) . . .
To Michael Lavine, ShopItToMe.com, Katelyn Simkins, and the rest of the cover crew for helping me put my best face forward and dealing with a day of kiddo chaos . . .
To anyone and everyone who sent much-needed and appreciated words of encouragement through social media when I had hit the wall of writer’s block . . .
To all those who responded to my Facebook and Twitter requests for tips, information, and inspiration that I could use to spread the word of gratitude . . .
Thank you. Thank you. Thank You. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!
And last but certainly not least, to all those who have led me to the literary path I so thankfully began traveling on three years ago, consider yourself virtually hugged!
Babette . . . thank you for introducing me to Celeste!
Celeste . . . thank you for helping bring out my authentic voice, providing unequaled guidance, and always lifting me up when I needed a boost.
Sandra . . . thank you for helping me organize the initial chaos of my novice writer’s brain into the sixty pages that would lead me to Da Capo.
Liz . . . thank you for your creative input, gracious wisdom, and acceptance of way too many smiley faces.
And to everyone at Da Capo Press and the Perseus Books Group: Thank you for welcoming me into your enchanting family and changing my life. From all those who gave me the special opportunity to break bread, shake their hand, and personally tell them the story of my stories; to Jonathan, who had to continuously put up with my overly critical eye for detail; to Kevin and Lissa for kindly working with me to come up with a picture-perfect plan of attack; to John, Lindsey, Carolyn, and Antoinette.
And finally, to my wonderful editor, Renee, thank you for believing in me and my idea, gently nudging me in a writer’s direction, helping mold my words into just the right content and rhythm, and thoughtfully understanding my struggles. Your unfaltering encouragement was the key in helping me spread my wings to fly toward the title of “author.” Ever so humbly, thank you.
As Thomas Wilder once said, “We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” I say with certainty that I am not only living, but I am alive.
Happily Ever After: The Life-Changing Power of a Grateful Heart Page 20