July 2023
Flower of the Month: Water Lily
Water lilies share the stage with larkspur in July. And although I’ve already spent many words on the symbolism of lilies in general, water lilies are particularly unique because of their growing environment. While all varieties mean purity and innocence, they also have deep symbolism of resurrection and rebirth. Their large lily pads provide shade for other aquatic creatures, and their roots extend down into the muddy waters. In some species, the petals open and close each day, providing a beautiful image of daily renewal.
We can take heart from the life of the water lily–that even in the murkiest beginnings, we can bloom to be a source of shade and beauty for others. And even when the night closes in, there is hope with the dawn of a new day.
Reading
Space Boy by Stephen McCranie
I don’t read many graphic novels, but this series was recommended by a friend years ago. I finally got around to reading it, and I’m so glad I did! The art style is inspiring, and the story is a sweet tale of belonging and finding what it means to be human. If you enjoy young adult fiction with sci-fi vibes, this series is for you!
Research
As boring as it sounds, housekeeping strategies have been my focus this past month. My writing work has been halted a bit because of my “real life” duties, so I’ve been organizing and decluttering to make all my work more enjoyable.
Updates
- Funding update: I’ve reached 12% of my funding goal for Lily’s Passage! As always, thank you for the love and support that makes this dream possible. To support my writing, visit my Project Jumpstart page.
- Line editing has officially begun, which means I’ll be starting the next round of revisions in a month or two!
- Poppy & Myrrh is now open for business! Favorite my shop on Etsy to be notified when new items are added.
- If you shop online, I would love for you to check out my personal link on iGive.com. A percentage of each purchase goes towards a charitable cause of your choice, and if you select “Sydney Frusti, Author” as your cause, I receive a check that goes directly towards my writing! There are a couple ways to shop, so please feel free to email me with any questions.
Lore
At the thought of cold days huddled by the fire, I pulled out one of our few books from under a pile of linens in the corner and traced my fingertips over its worn cover. An etching of a dragon spanned the leather, its grooves soft with time. I flipped open to the very first story my mother had taught me to read and let it play in my mind.
At the Beginning of Time, the world was nothing. Then, the three Great Beings stepped into the void and created all there is to know. Wind breathed life into the skies, filling them with stars. Water filled the world with oceans and the wonders of the deep. Earth raised up dry land amid the sea, with rocks and trees and every green thing. When all was finished, they came together and created the first creatures to inhabit their new world.
My thoughts began to wander to the Spring Solstice in a few weeks. There would be a festival with dancing and music to honor the Water Being, which was always great fun. But more than that, it would be my first time attending as an adult.
To think that I could finally be free of my mother’s watchful eye for a night…
Another tome thumped to its side on the shelf, and I shifted my focus to a second leather-bound book even more tattered than the first. I pulled it out and let the nostalgia grip me before I lifted the cover.
My fingers flipped with idle movements through the collection of drawings that were nearly as old as I was. I passed the sketches of complete family units, brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers, all the picture of contentment. Then came the landscapes, with rolling hills, open fields, vast expanses of water, and even barren stretches of sand. I’d named them all, once upon a time, back when my knowledge of the world was limited to stories and fantasies. But even now, I couldn’t say I was much better off.
Plants and animals, crude attempts at people, clothing more fine than any of my own–they all filled the pages of the book and told the tale of my childhood.
But they turned blank as abruptly as a cliff, as if there was some bit of the story left untold. For as many birthdays as I could remember, my mother had given me new pages to add into the book to fuel the next year’s dreaming, but she never asked to see my artwork. All the better, because I had stopped drawing long ago and never had the heart to tell her.
Intrigued? Enter the world of Alderdale in my fantasy novel, Lily’s Passage, and walk alongside Farrah on a journey of discovery.
As the wind blows,
Sydney Frusti
