Another dream is about to become a reality

Sunday, Mat 7, 2023, 9:30 pm, 59⁰F (15⁰C) Mostly clear

Another dream is about to become a reality!
 
Exactly two years ago, on the eve of Sumi’s birthday, My Journey with Sumi website was launched. Today, on the eve of Sumi’s 69^th birthday and 10-years since our Journey began, another dream is about to become a reality. Also, it was exactly 49 years ago on Sumi’s birthday we had decided to get married when she had turned 20. 
 
A beta version (a pre-production version) of a book by the same name My Journey with Sumi was produced two days ago on Friday. The final, self-published, volume production run is few weeks away as many details are being worked out.
 
The cover shows one of my art projects from the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center where a flower sculpture was made from a thin sheet of copper, using copper wire for the stem. First the flower petals were cut and then a design was put on the face and bending them in wooden molds by slightly tapping with a hammer and then assembling them with a nut and bolt.
 
The copper flower on the book’s cover is symbolic. Copper is a unique metal that can be coaxed into different shapes and takes on a beautiful patina as it ages. The flower's wire stem is the foundation on which the copper flower rests and from which it blooms. Like that stem, Sumi’s daily routine is the footing that -- with creative problem solving and effective care partnering -- supports and adapts Sumi to keep her safe, smiling and blooming.

The backbone of this book’s content is the distillation of my entries on WhatsApp under My Journey with Sumi, posts I started at the urging of you, my family and friends, more than six years ago. Continuation of these posts would not have been possible without your wholehearted encouragement and support. You saw my capability and potential. So much of the strength you observed in me came from the support you provided throughout these years. Without you this book could not have been written.
 
Making of this book would not have been possible without countless, arduous hours devoted by my son, Jasen, and his fiancé, Jessica, over the last year. They defined the overall design direction, did the layout and formatting, experimented with various book sizes and, finally, created a print-ready digital file.
 
I must also acknowledge Elizabeth Nowicki and Cheryl Deep for professional, diligent work and lots of love in editing and proofreading. Also, Catherine Blasio for creating a lovely cover design. Lastly, Mr. Shantibhai Patel of Flash Printing for his patience in printing pre-production book runs.

Considering only 3% of writers who start a book finish it and only 0.6% of writers publish a book, it has become a huge part of my identity and I hope the book will have something unique to offer and contribute.