Mom Knows Best

While going through a very painful divorce, I was still desperately trying to save our marriage. It was a dark and hopeless time for me. I decided to go home and spend Thanksgiving with my parents. My mom never spoke much about what I was going through, but when she did it was so profound. I took her advice and it came to pass years later. She is my Yoda.

"Not all books are meant to have a happy ending John. Sometimes it is difficult to change what has been written, especially if you let someone else write it. Don't live a life based on one book. Don't let someone else write your story. You need to live your life and write more and more books so you can have a library of new and ongoing memories. Don't go back to reread the previous book, you already know how that story ends. It will not change. Make your books count, it's what you'll leave behind for others to read. Inspire them. Keep writing. Don't give up, eventually one of your new books will end with that you lived happily ever after. I believe in you. Your story is not over."

— Masako Sadamatsu Schafer, November 26, 2014