Cowboy Kisses

 

Why I Believe in Second Chances

Hi everyone! Brandi Creek here.

If you've read many of my books, you've probably noticed that second chances show up a lot.

Sometimes it's a second chance at love, but I've never thought second chances belonged only to romance.

Life is full of them.

Sometimes it's mending a relationship with a parent, a child, or someone else you love. Sometimes it's realizing the career you thought you wanted isn't making you happy and finding the courage to chase something that doesn't feel quite so much like work. Sometimes it's starting over when life takes you in a direction you never expected.

I've experienced all of those things in one way or another, and I think most of us have.

Life has a funny way of refusing to follow the plan we made for it.

We grow. We change. Our priorities shift. The things we thought would make us happy at twenty might look completely different at forty, fifty, or sixty. Sometimes circumstances make those decisions for us; other times, we reach a point where we realize something simply isn't working anymore.

That's one of the reasons I love writing second chances so much.

My characters don't always need another chance with someone they loved years ago. Sometimes they need another chance with their family. Another chance to build a life they're proud of. Another chance to trust someone. To come home. To forgive. To let go of something that's been holding them back.

And sometimes they need to take a risk without knowing whether it'll work out.

I think that's what life is really about: evolving, adapting, rolling with the punches, and being willing to recognize an opportunity when one comes along.

Because starting over can be scary.

Changing direction can be scary.

Taking a chance when you're comfortable, even if you're not necessarily happy, can be really scary.

But some of the best things in life happen because we were willing to take that risk.

Maybe that's also why I love writing characters who aren't perfect. They've made mistakes. They've taken wrong turns. Some have stayed too long, left too soon, trusted the wrong person, chosen the wrong path, or convinced themselves that what they had was good enough.

Then life gives them another opportunity.

What they do with it is where the story begins.

That's the kind of second chance I love most. Not erasing everything that came before, but taking everything you've learned from it and using it to build something better.

Maybe that's why I'll never get tired of writing second chances.

There's something hopeful about knowing that one wrong decision, one closed door, or even one really difficult chapter doesn't have to determine how the rest of your story ends.

Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches, look for the opportunity, and be brave enough to take the chance when it comes.

I'd love to hear from you. Have you ever taken a second chance that changed the direction of your life?

Happy reading,

Brandi

hello@brandicreekauthor.com