Maribeth Barber Albritton

I really, really, really wanted chips in my soup.

I had been looking forward to that meal all day long: Chicken Fajita Soup–an “E” meal on the Trim Healthy Mama plan–and the one excuse I’d have all week to eat tortilla chips without guilt! I was so ready, especially after a long, tiring day in town.

And then my mom put a can of coconut milk in the soup, effectively turning it into an “S” meal and dashing all my tortilla chip dreams to pieces. Unless I wanted to venture into the highly-problematic Crossover territory, I’d have to have raw spinach in my soup instead.

Now, if I’d been prepared for spinach, this wouldn’t have been a problem. BUT I WANTED CHIPS. Everything in me begged for chips! But I ended up taking the spinach for no other reason than I knew it was the appropriate choice and that I’d feel better about myself at the end of the day.

Fast forward to the very next morning when I realized, with a start, that I only had six chapters of Lionhearted‘s fourth draft left to edit. Conceivably, I could edit two chapters on Friday, two chapters on Saturday, and two chapters on Sunday, and I’d be done. Two chapters seemed like a lot, though. Editing just one chapter usually takes me an hour or longer–and on top of that, my parents were leaving me in charge over the weekend while they attended Dad’s high school reunion.

I didn’t want the added pressure. I was concerned my siblings wouldn’t appreciate it if I rooted myself at my desk for 2+ hours every day while I was supposed to be the Responsible Adult. And I really didn’t like the idea of adding all that long, hard work to a weekend that was supposed to be full of fun, my grandmother’s peach cobbler, and Snow White and the Huntsman. 

“I could do this,” I told my mom during our morning exercise, “but I don’t know if I should.”

“Why wouldn’t you, though?” she asked. “You’d be done. And you could actually rest for what’s left of summer break.”

I admit, I’d hoped she would talk me out of it, haha. I hemmed and I hawed for the rest of our exercise period until I’m sure my mom wished I’d shut up and let her do her pliés in peace–and then I remembered: I really, REALLY wanted those chips last night. But I chose the harder, not-quite-as-tasty thing–and at the end of the day, I was glad I made that choice, wasn’t I?

Why is this any different?

Knowing what it would take to finish Lionhearted in three days made me cringe. But I knew Mom was right. I knew deep down, too, that the long slog would be worth it in the long run. My siblings didn’t even look at me strangely when I asked if they’d mind if I hid upstairs for a couple hours every day while Mom and Dad were gone.

I chose the hard, not-quite-as-fun thing. But by the end of the weekend I was so glad I did it…because I finished Lionhearted yesterday afternoon, half an hour before our parents got home.

I still need to make sure a few narrative details and formatting issues are consistent throughout the manuscript and then run a spelling/grammar check–but for all intents and purposes, it is done. I can see the Shire! Lionhearted is almost ready for its grand debut!

And I even got to have chips in my (“E” meal) soup last night 😉