There are moments when you look at something you created and realize you are also looking at a piece of your own journey.
Seeing these two books together is one of those moments for me.
For The Days You Forget and Penny Colors Ahead are very different books, created for different moments and readers, but there is something that lives inside both of them: encouragement.
One was created for the days when we may need a few words to return to. The other follows a little puppy discovering new places, new experiences, friendship, confidence, courage, and all the colors still waiting ahead.
Neither began as simply another book I wanted to make. They began with a message I wanted to give somewhere to go.
And now, seeing them side by side, I realize that sometimes what we create becomes another chapter in our own story too.
For The Days You Forget
Some days we remember exactly who we are. Other days, life gets loud enough that we lose sight of pieces of ourselves.
For The Days You Forget was created for those quieter moments when we may need to return to a few simple reminders. Our worth does not disappear on a difficult day. Progress does not become meaningless because we had to slow down. There is still value in where we are, even while we are growing into where we hope to be.
I wanted this book to feel like something you could open without needing a reason. Maybe you read one page. Maybe you find the words that fit that particular day. Maybe you simply need a reminder that says, ” Keep going.
Penny Colors Ahead
Penny’s story holds a very personal place in my heart because Penny was my real dog. She was part of my life long before she became the little puppy on these pages, and after she passed, her memory remained with me.
Creating Penny Colors Ahead gave me a way to carry a piece of her into something new. I wanted her story to be filled with color, curiosity, friendship, courage, and all the little moments that can make life feel brighter.
There is something comforting about seeing Penny continue to run through new places on these pages. Her story may be imagined, but the love behind her is very real.
Maybe that is part of what creating allows us to do. Some things we cannot hold onto forever in the way we wish we could, but we can find meaningful ways to carry their presence forward.
Penny Colors Ahead will always be more than a children’s book to me. It is also a small piece of Penny’s memory, given a new place to live. ❤️
What These Books Mean to Me
Creating these books has reminded me that our stories can take many forms. Some begin with words we needed ourselves. Others begin with a memory we never want to lose.
Both became part of Inspiring Life’s Journey in their own way, and now they have the opportunity to become part of someone else’s journey too.
If one page offers encouragement on a difficult day, or one little story gives a child something to carry with them, then these books are doing exactly what I hoped they would do.
With love,
Cher ❤️