One day, a dragonfly landed in my imagination… and a story found me.

How the Dragonfly Book Came to Be — Part One

Fourteen years ago, I wrote The Extraordinary Journey of an Ordinary Dragonfly — something I never expected to create. I’ve always loved reading, especially about spirituality, but writing a children’s story about it with insects as the characters wasn’t anything I ever imagined. Yet one day, while I was bicycling, the entire idea arrived. Clear. Peaceful. Complete. I didn’t outline anything. I simply started writing, and the story flowed out as if it were already waiting.

At that time, I was in a rare moment of calm and mental clarity. Looking back, I think that openness allowed the story to come through so effortlessly. It felt less like I created it and more like I was just putting into words something that found me.

When the book was finished, I sent it to a few publishers. Nothing came back — not even rejection letters. So I tucked it away. For years, I shared it occasionally with friends, and they always responded positively, but I still didn’t pursue it further.

Less than two years ago, I gave it to a friend who read it and said, “You really need to do something with this.” And for whatever reason, that simple sentence stayed with me. Even though self-publishing seemed financially impractical, something in me said: do it anyway. So I did.

Self-publishing turned out to be far more detailed and involved than I expected. From signing the contract to receiving my first shipment of books took over a year. But even with all the steps and back-and-forth communication, the book gave me something meaningful to focus on during a difficult period. It gave me direction and purpose when I needed both.

When the finished books finally arrived, I realized that working on this story had quietly pulled me forward. It helped me make decisions and changes I’m not sure I would have made otherwise.

And that’s only half the story.
Part Two coming next.