The other day I received an email from my Super Blog Buddy Sarah asking me how many merit badges I had earned. Since my boys are involved in scouting I assumed it was related, boy was I wrong. Sarah’s link led me to a very fun site: Merit Badger.
This fun site has merit badges for authors to earn such as:
At Least My Mom Likes Me
So you’ve been rejected once or twice. Or a hundred times. Or a thousand.
You earn the “at least my mom likes me” merit badge by remembering to be grateful for the person in your life who, even if they don’t quite understand what you’re doing or why you’re doing it, would never reject you.
It doesn’t have to be your mom. It can be your dad, your grandparent, your significant other, your child, or your best friend. Even your pet. Pets totally count.
The next time you’re feeling nothing but rejected, allow yourself to accept the literal or figurative heart-shaped PB&J your special person offers to cheer you up. And thank them for it.
And a particular favorite:
Not an Oprah’s Book Club selection
It’s been tough, but you’ve managed to earn the highly exclusive “not an Oprah’s Book Club selection” merit badge.
That’s right, you’ve achieved something even the likes of McCarthy, Steinbeck, and Tolstoy were unable to.
Do be careful, though. There are still fifteen months between now and the end ofThe Oprah Winfrey Show. If you slip up and land your novel in front of the book-buying kajillions before then, you’ll have to hand in your badge. And we both know that would break your heart.
The reality is my picture book is probably never going to be on Oprah’s list but I did receive a Moonbeam award and on the same day that I received the email from Sarah I received this in the mail:
So I’ll keep on earning my merit badges and hang my award on the wall, and while I may never sit on Oprah’s couch that’s just fine with me. I have a Moonbeam.
Suzanne Santillan
Writing on the Sidewalk
