The Mother's Day Tradition Continues with Roulette of Rhymes

For the last four years, I have been able to maintain a Mother's Day tradition of releasing a book on Mother's Day. Until I began writing this post I thought it was the last 3 years, but then I noticed that I released Between the Tides also on Mother's Day. So that's 4 in a row and I'm happy to announce that the tradition continues this year with Roulette of Rhymes.

To me, Mother's Day is every day but I do my best to celebrate every Mother's Day by publishing and releasing a book as a tribute to all the moms.

The first year of my writing career, it was Between the Tides, in 2015 it was the Daydreams on the Sherbet Shore.

Last year I published my first fully Spanish work in Pensando en Metáforas.

Each of this works is special for its own right and I release them on this day because if we can celebrate national pancake day, we best celebrate Mother's Day BIG time.

It's no secret I love my mom and it shall never be a secret because I've learned that showing our love and emotions is a good thing. Letting other people know how much and why you love someone is also a good thing.

My mom is my inspiration for so many things and her example has always inspired me. She always keeps going forwards and always wears that beautiful smile of hers. She makes me proud beyond measure and I shall always release a book on this day to show how much she means to me and that my love for her is embedded in my heart in my DNA, and in my work.

Te amo, Mama.

Let's see what new surprises we'll have for next year. +

A Daydream for a Mother

Last year I was able to publish my first poetry collection, Between the Tides, on Mother’s Day. This year, I wanted to keep up the tradition so I’m happy to share with the world Volume 1 of the Daydreams on the Sherbet Shore.

The reason for wanting to make this a tradition is simple and singular: I love my Mom and I want to not only make her proud but to give back on the day where I celebrate the artform known as motherhood. As a mother, my mom has taught me plenty of lessons and we’ve shared some of my fondest conversations in memory. I’ve shared bottles of wine and inappropriate jokes the likes of which most people would blush at. That’s my Mom. She’s such a character that I felt the need to capture her essence in Mrs. Fawn within the Human Cycle and she’ll appear a lot more… it’s not that I’ll make it so, it’s that I have no choice, nor do I want there to be a choice. My default setting is to have my mother at the top of my mind in all I do.

One of the most important lessons she taught me was that if you did your best, you TRULY did your best, then whatever the result, it’s OK. It’s good enough. But if that there was one bit more you could have given, then you should ask yourself why you didn’t give it. Although I always do my best in all I do, I apply this to me as a person, a husband, a son, a friend, a professional and most definitely as a writer.

When people ask me if I don’t think I’m being too ambitious or if I should slow down, I think of Mom and her lesson. If there is energy within me to put my best face on, to help others, to use my words for good or to entertain or bring a smile to my face, you can be sure I will invest it in that.

Giving my best is the least I can do for my Mom. She’s shown me that not by saying it, but by being the example of a human of the highest caliber. She has flaws, such wonderful flaws and she’s happy and she’s also taught me that committing mistakes, having flaws, not being perfect and being let down are acceptable outcomes when you’re giving your best.

I give my best because I learned that it is the best way to being happy. And trust me, the lesson has stuck and will stick… I had one hell of a teacher.

So here’s to my Mom and all the wonderful mothers out there. In your hands is the ability to change the future for the better, with kindness, with patience, with communication and with love, four treasures I have been fortunate enough to enjoy for almost 35 years on this Earth.

I love you mom, and in the garden of my life, I look at the flower of you and give my all to harvest my best.

Your loving son,

La jota de Estrada (Estrada's J)