I am truly blessed. When I wake every day, it’s to the joy of living the lavender life – one of hard but rewarding work, doing something I love. I choose my own hours, based on the workload, and at last have time to look at doing my own writing once again and, soon, being able to play in the garden and catch up on all the shaping and creating that still needs to happen in my ‘little place of paradise.’

Working as a full time freelance editor has been a dream for many years. So many times, working a full and demanding job and slogging away at editing in every free hour I could find, I would wonder if it was worth the effort and relentless hours. Today, as I rose and watched the dawn whisper lovingly over my lavender, I wanted to shout out a resounding “Yes!” Nothing worth having is without cost, and I’m so glad I knuckled down and hung in there through the two odd years of gaining experience and building credibility.

I’m blessed, too, with ‘my’ publishers – friendly, open and professional, all of them. It makes for a good and productive working relationship. The workload, though all editing focused, is varied enough to not be boring, and what an adventure it is to meet new authors and be part of the ‘birthing process’ of a new book. There’s opportunity for teaching, too, when I encounter first-time authors and can help them develop their craft. Other exciting lavender life opportunities wait on the horizon, ones that will expand my experience base and grow into new ones, all related to editing and publishing.

There is joy in the lavender life…

Life is exciting, but it’s also peaceful and rewarding. Simply being able to enjoy the dawn without watching the clock to make sure I’m ready to leave by a certain time to miss the traffic, is something I never want to take for granted. Spending time with my animals is special too. My babies love having me home, and I get to see things that make me smile all through the day. There’s nothing quite like it.

Yes, some days are a challenge. Sometimes, despite careful planning, the workload unexpectedly spikes and there’s a stress peak along with it. Pressure to get the job done – on time, and to a professional standard in a shorter time frame – isn’t always ‘fun’. But its temporary. It’s ‘my’ stress, as opposed to the stress engendered by corporate politics, pressures, and other people’s deadlines. These days, my stress is the ‘growing’ kind – manageable, motivational, and meaningful.

Sadly, we don’t live in a perfect world, and there’s no such thing as the perfect life. But I think mine is, right now, about as perfect as it could ever get.

Living the lavender life, and loving it. I wouldn’t change a thing.