The little things.
This post is from September 26, 2022
Quote.
Update.
Experimental new section: Highlight of the week.
Motivate: Appreciation for the small moments.
Final thoughts.
Update:
This past week has been odd. For the past two years, I’ve been writing something fairly consistently in my free moments. Sure, I’d take breaks here and there, but for the most part, I had a project to get back to.
Right now, I’m between projects.
Waiting to hear if my 3rd novel has a chance out there. Waiting for feedback on my 4th novel. And I’m not sure what to do next.
Do I return to the second novel I wrote, Consumed, a psychological suspense? Do I flesh out the baby of an idea currently nibbling my head? Just take time away and really give my house a good clean?
I don’t know yet, but I do know I haven’t written for days and days now, and I miss it. What we do every day becomes a part of us. Writing has become a part of me. I like that.
Likely, I won’t get into any writing project until after next weekend.
On October 2nd I’ll meet with the 3 ladies who will critique my newest novel. I’ll hear their thoughts and recommendations. And then I’ll set to work editing this piece. Then it’s off to my agent and a second round of readers. (If you’re on my beta list, expect a separate email from me soon!)
What has become a part of you? Or what do you need to get back to that you’ve loved and have forgotten how much joy it brings?
Potential new section: Highlight of the week.
Friday evening.
The house buzzed with preparation for “movie night.” My husband paused by the piano, let his fingers run along the keys. My oldest daughter’s blonde curls shone in the bright lights as she bent over a table, feverishly working on an art project. My youngest daughter happily played, a doll tucked under her arm, high heels clicking on the hardwood.
I gripped a stack of paper plates and festive Halloween napkins I’d grabbed from the Dollar Tree (now, $1.25 Tree), and started up the stairs. The afternoon sun peeked through the blinds, and my foot stilled on the worn carpet of the 5th step. The sounds of my family, each person doing their own thing, swirled in my ears and dove directly into my heart, burning the moment into my memory.
I let the feeling completely surround me, overcome by the impact of simplicity.
There were a lot of things that happened this past week, but it is THAT moment that stands out to me the most, those few seconds where I savored peace and was thankful for what I had right then.
It was free from the past, untied to the future. It just was.
There’s so much ugly in life. So much sorrow. So much grief. So much.
It’s important to appreciate those little moments.
Motivate:
Sometimes it’s the small things that make the most impact.
What do you have: a talent, friends, family, a house, food, clothes, legs that work, arms that work, the ability to be on a phone or computer…
We get used to the hustle and bustle of life, and it’s so easy to take the small things for granted or let them go unnoticed. We tend to focus on what we don’t have or what we can’t do or what hasn’t happened yet.
But, reader, we get to eat today. (Maybe you’re struggling. I can’t know for sure.)
During WWII, a lot of kids were orphaned. At a particular orphanage, the staff baked loaves of bread, and gave each child a loaf before bed. The children tucked it under their arms, snuggling to the loaf like a stuffed animal. Only with their bread were they able to sleep. Without that bread, they weren’t sure whether they’d eat the next day. But with the loaf on the pillow beside them, they knew—at least that next day—they’d be able to eat.
Life shifts when we are grateful for the little things.
Final thoughts:
I challenge you to take a moment and savor the small things in your day today.
Until next week, much glitter,
Melissa
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