On Encouragement
Clearly, I am not very good at not blogging. Oh well. This will be quick. And I think it's important. Like, really, important.
Yesterday, I published a blog post about drinking and not drinking and the whole thing made me a bit anxious because of the topic, yes, but also because I was concerned that I was being insensitive about exploring my regular old ADR stuff after Boston. Anyway, I published it and got the most amazing, thoughtful comments. And in one comment, someone (hello, Mr. Sorrell!) wrote:
Your characters are lucky to have you writing them.
When I read these words, I smiled. Big. I can't explain it, but as someone who has been struggling with her novel and her characters for years now, as someone who has written and scrapped hundreds of pages of her WIP, this was a wonderful thing to read, to digest, to believe. Not only did it make me feel good, but it motivated me.
And it made me realize something. Encouragement is golden. Sometimes, it's all we need. We are all striving. We are all working. We are all wanting. We are trying to do things, little and big things, and it is hard sometimes to maintain momentum and confidence. There will always be moments when we doubt and flail and question everything... and then poof someone says something kind and encouraging and everything is okay. Better than okay.
It's not a revolutionary idea. When Danielle LaPorte was here for her Happier Hour not long ago, she said this very thing. That encouragement is so so important in life. That, often, it's not really advice we crave, but just old shool encouragement. And now I know just what she means. And participating in the This Is Childhood blogging series? It was so incredible because it involved encouraging, and being encouraged, by nine other wonderful writers and mothers.
Each morning, when I drop my big girls at school, I say something before kissing them goodbye. I say: Be silly. Have fun. Learn something. I don't know where I came up with this, but it's stuck and it makes my babes smile. I am realizing now as I write these words on this overcast Thursday morning that these words are bits of encouragement. Maybe that it is one of the most important parts of being a parent? Encouraging our little creatures to keep doing what they are doing, to try, to enjoy, to be who it is they are?
Anyway, I'm in danger of rambling and I have some characters to go write, but I wanted to come here and get this down. Thank you, Brian Sorrell, for making me smile, for encouraging me to keep plugging away.
Do you agree that encouragement is golden? Do you have people in your life who encourage you? Have you experienced moments in your personal and professional life when you've felt a distinct lack of encouragement? Do you make sure to encourage your kids? Do you think many of us blog in part to be encouraged? (Whoa! That's a lot of questions!)