My Mission Statement

I write to serve, to unite, to educate. I write to share literature and flesh out ideas that may be of interest to others. I write to document an emotion, experience, or a blip in time. My mission is to write in such a way that the reader is reminded that we can find humor in all situations. It's one of the great blessings of life.


Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Grateful Wed

I am seriously grateful today.
1. Earl was a pussycat
2. OD had her first tennis match yesterday, and she played well, to boot
3. YD has her first cross country meet today
4. When I ran out of gas yesterday on 264 in fast-moving traffic, an angel immediately came to my aid. The most precious man.
5. OD's first match was very near a TRADER JOE's!!!!
6. Everyone is off to a great start at school
7. I am excited about being a Writer in Residence at White Oak School!!
8. Thankful for the life of my great Uncle Paul who passed away yesterday. He lived an amazing life.
9. Thankful for healthy spouse, children and parents.
10. Thankful for a good writing day yesterday.

I have terrible writing days. I have mediocre writing days. And then I have good writing days. Good writing days are magical, ethereal events that transport me to another place. They are intensely spiritual, and I feel divinely connected to the most amazing Creator of all. The words flow, the characters dance and sing, and the story happens. I had one of those days yesterday. I think it has taken me these full two weeks of kids in school to get back in the zone. But now I feel myself sliding into it, and I am so grateful. It feels right to be in a story again. I'm working on a picture book now, a character I LOVE. I'm so excited to be with her again day after day. It will take nothing less than my best and most devoted 'wordsmithery' (it would be so ironic if that were not a word,and I love that, so I'll leave it) to bring her to the page the way she deserves to appear.

So today I will be at the library at 9:30 sharp in my regular work spot to practice my no-fail BIC technique (Butt In Chair) until my character cooperates. I will bring my sketchbook and my laptop, and work until it clicks. I try to keep at the forefront my audience, precious children who will grow to adore the written word. I always remind myself that for most children it only takes one book, one character, to help them fall in love with reading. What more important work could there be? (okay, I know there's lots of important work, but it doesn't really fit into the pep talk here--he he)

At any rate, I am grateful today to be a writer. As Martha Stewart used to say, "It's a good thing."

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