Word Count: 552

Today I went to the library and wrote 552 words. That’s approximately two pages, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but I also did some editing.

These 552 words were written in the “Spring” section of my memoir-in-progress. At this time, it’s titled Unrequited, but as most authors know, once a work is accepted for publication, the publisher often changes the name. The Red Kimono was previously titled Broken Dolls, but the publisher, (University of Arkansas Press) thought The Red Kimono was more marketable and more applicable to the story.

As I mentioned in my post, “Day 2: I Should I Said Something,” here’s a summary of Unrequited:

This is a story about four loves, unrequited in one way or another, and how they were like seasons in my life– Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter — all resulted in growth, but in different ways.

It occurs to me that saying I wrote in the “Spring” section may not mean anything to readers of this post, so here’s an outline of the memoir as it’s currently planned. In future posts, I’ll go into more detail about each section of the book:

Part I – The Planting

This section takes place during from the beginning of my parents’ relationship, my unexpected birth, and my early childhood years when my father was away on Air Force assignments and my mother took care of my four siblings and me. It includes many letters written between my parents that show their love, as well as the frustrations of trying to raise a large family apart from each other.

Part II – Spring

Spring represents new life, coming into bloom, transformation. This section takes place in my teen years when I met my high school sweetheart and experienced my first unrequited love. It includes actual diary entries to demonstrate the thrill, innocence, naivety and emotion of that era.

Part III – Summer

Summer represents growth, energy, heat, play, carefree times. The era is my early 30s when I’m newly divorced and meet a young man while training in San Diego. It was a time of freedom . . . while it lasted. This relationship, too, ended for reasons out of our control — the second of my unrequited loves.

Part IV – Autumn

Autumn symbolizes ripening and abundance. In my 40s, I met a man who taught me to sail. For fourteen months, we refurbished a sailboat together and named it “Haiku.” Sadly, Autumn also represents decay, decline, and even death. This section tells the story of how I loved and lost this third unrequited love.

Part V – Winter

At first thought, winter has negative connotations to most people. But for me, winter is a time of warmth and reflection. This section will not be about an unrequited love, but about a love shared with Steve, whose openness and understanding has cleared the way for me to understand these unrequited loves and the impact they had on my life.

These are all love stories. I still hold a fondness for all of these men and they have come into and out of my life at various times. But most of all, it’s a life story I hope I will one day finish.