The Gamble

“Came into the world…” is another way to say released, launched, or made available in the publishing universe. For the curious, I spent June 1, 2021, the day Tea with Dad came into the world at a casino with my father. We lost big time, though we each left with a waffle iron. So far, by going to the casino, we’ve accumulated "for free” bathrobes, blankets, purses, and now waffle irons. If we go every week for the rest of the months, we’ll get coffee pots, blenders, and a sandwich maker. Walking out with the freebies they offer to lure us in there is more of a sure thing than the likelihood of winning at the slots or making a huge splash with one’s debut memoir.

I don’t know whether luck wasn’t with me on June 1 or I was just distracted (really, who thinks that going to a casino on the day your book launches is a good idea). In between hitting the ‘repeat bet” button I took congratulatory phone calls and responded to direct messages and social media posts. I didn’t win a thing. Dad treated me to lunch (with free points he earned).

The way I see it, I still left a winner. The book is done and published. And except for the typos I keep finding, people pre-ordered and continue to buy it. Friends and family post photos on Facebook and Instagram of themselves holding the book. I’m extremely grateful and not just for the presales and sales. I’m grateful because, through the writing of this book, my father and I strengthened our relationship. I am not the woman I was when I moved in with him.

Getting to know someone well, someone you really want to be close to is a bit of a gamble. It requires an investment of time, transparency, vulnerability, telling the truth, and a willingness not just to listen but to hear. You’re not guaranteed a jackpot of a great or close relationship with the other person, but you win at knowing that you tried, that you have a new version, or in some cases—not mine, thank heavens—that there is no relationship and there never will be. That can be a win, too.