Hi, ,

I know it’s been a while, but I wanted to give something of an update. My health has taken many twists and turns, leading to an autoimmune diagnosis that affects my nerves. Also exacerbating my health challenges is my inability to absorb stress as well as I did before, and I’m still a fall risk in terms of mobility and balance. This means things that were once easy for me to do now carries some difficulty that I’m learning to mitigate. Some of these challenges my doctors believe are fully recoverable. Some are not. The good news, though, is my liver transplant remains stable.

My focus has taken a hit, which is compromising my writing. I’m not at a loss of ideas. Rather, I’m at a loss of attention to put them down. One comes, then it goes. Or it doesn’t come out the way I want. Or I don’t know if what I want to write is even worth it. So, my apologies for lack of anything coming from me on that end, but I will say I have more hope for that getting better than I’d had last year. I knew my brain wasn’t working the way it had, and now we know what’s going on is in addition to the failed liver. I mourn the capabilities I’ve lost, but I celebrate what I still have and what I can rebuild as I continue getting better.

More good news is I’m able to read again. It’s still mostly as audiobooks, but given last year I could barely do anything that involved literature, I’m really thrilled some of my focus has returned enough that I can enjoy a few pages here and there. I’m not at marathon reading levels, and I’m not sure I’ll ever get back to that, but it’s okay if I don’t. Onward we go, even if on an alternate path from before.

Finally, I’ve started back freelance editing and coaching. The freelance editing has the same challenges as the writing in terms of the speed with which I can do it, but I’m so relieved my skills are still there (and Chicago Manual of Style has released its eighteenth edition! The excitement I felt when I got my hands on it is real geekery!). And as for coaching, I’m really excited to start that again. I’ve found this experience has wanted me to help and guide people to be the best, most authentic version of themselves. This healing journey is making me do the same in ways I hadn’t fathomed, and truly want to pay that forward.

I hope all has been well with you. What are you reading? I’m so behind on the latest and greatest, so I welcome your recommendations. As for this newsletter, I will continue updating when I can (probably with more frequency on social media for short posts and longer updates here). I appreciate your sticking with me as I continue to adjust.

And now, I leave you with a picture of a rare instance of camera hogging from Mia and a common instance of my not. lol

Speak soon,

Savannah, SJF Books