True Friends, Good Writers & Time Away

Charlotte's Web is my all-time favorite book. Hands down. Dad read it to me on a porch swing in summer when I was little - 5 or 6 - and not long ago, I read it to Big Girl. When we turned the final page, my babe and I were both bleary with tears. It was a moment I will not forget.

I think about this book often, for may reasons. Because it reminds me of Dad. Because it reminds me of my oldest and dearest friend in the world Mary who gave me a first-edition of the book for my 30th birthday, which was also her wedding day. I also think about it because it is a story about the simplicity and profundity of friendship, of finding a kindred soul who gets us, who is loyal to us, who help us find our way. Little Charlotte was a dear friend to Wilbur; and Wilbur to Charlotte. Simple. And profound.

A couple years ago, a good friend of mine gave me a mug with the above quote printed on it. This friend happens to be a fellow writer. I cherish this mug and also this friendship. And I'm thinking about this all right now because today I will be getting on a plane to head to a writing workshop on Orcas Island (off Seattle) called Write Doe Bay. I don't really know what to expect other than that there will be 25 or so writers gathered in a beautiful, rustic place to get to know each other and talk about writing. Sounds pretty dreamy to me.

I have a hunch that I will come home with a new friend or two - or maybe even twenty-five. The thought of this makes me smile. More than ever, I'm aware of the power of friendship, of how critical connection can be in this modern life that so often feels, despite the endless binds of social media, very disconnected. I don't really have the time to be doing this, to be getting away, but I'm doing it. I will miss my sweet girls and my good man and the cherished comforts of home, but I know that this will be a wonderful experience.

Cheers to true friends, present and future, and to all the good writers I'm about to meet, and to a little time away. I will be documenting my trip on Instagram and if you'd like to follow along, click here. Have a great weekend, guys!