In alignment
Sometimes I look at the world and think in stories. That is a wonderful feeling. It is then that I know I am in alignment. It is then that opportunities present themselves – like the column gig I just landed recently. Finally, after many years of wanting to do this, I felt like I had something to offer. Apparently the editor did, too.
But being in alignment is not a constant state. There are days when I fell like I am choking out words. But I do it, because it is part of the discipline of writing. (How can I be a writer if I don’t write?) It is because of this that I have a backlog of four years’ worth of stories and story ideas on tap. It is because of this that my worst fear – that I won't have anything to write about for publication – has been nipped in the bud.
I mentioned the backlog of stories to a friend the other day, and she said, “Wow, great, you won’t necessarily have to write anything new.” (She wondered where I'd find the time to do the column, with three kids and a full-time job.) And I told her that while that was true, I had been writing things, anyway. When it rains it pours. (And I’ll remind myself of this next time I’m in a slump, which is usually when I am distracted by my “day job!”)
Aside from the column, I'm currently working on my illustrated book, "What Would Mary Do?" Here's the synopsis.
What would Mary do? is a thought-provoking, conversation-starting book for mothers and children. Beautifully illustrated, it shines a new light on ten oh-so-familiar childhood scenarios that commonly trigger parent-child conflict. Readers are prompted to imagine “just what would Mary do” if Jesus refused His vegetables, splashed bathwater on the floor, or jumped up and down on His bed at bedtime.This book actually came from a piece I wrote more than a year ago, that I didn't originally envision to be an illustrated book. In fact, I thought I'd never go there!
Now I have to sign off because 2/3 of my children are sick and if tonight is like last night, I'll want to have a few hours of sleep before the nighttime sniffling, sneezing, coughing....etc. starts. (And if I'm way overtired, I know things won't flow.)
