Inspiration Comes From Unexpected Places

To my thinking, writers connecting with writers, either online or face-to-face, is imperative. Writers take on a lonely business, armed only with a pen and blank sheet of paper, or computer screen, and our imaginations. The wonderful thing is that these elements, combined with research and the desire to create, can take us as far as our minds and stamina are able.

So far this year I have attended one writers conference where I gained information and inspiration and submitted five entries to writing contests; however, my critique group is on hiatus, so my impetus to create something new every week has stalled. Add vacations, family time, and a recent surgery, and the result: my weeks have been chopped up into fragments with precious little to show.

One thing I always make time for is reading, and writing ideas down as they come, often at the oddest times. The most recent quote I wrote down is by Frodo Baggins from one of Peter Jackson's films in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien:  "He didn't mean for a lot of things to happen, Sam, but it did." Context: Frodo is speaking to his comrade, Sam, after Gandalf's untimely death in the underground caves. Their future looks bleak, because the leader of the Fellowship of the Ring has seemingly perished, and their grief is so deep that they fear the worst: utter defeat.

Frodo's observation gave me the inspiration to bring out a writing project I had been working on for six months, but put aside because it had become too difficult, too painful to continue. It was inspired by a true life situation that has caused our family much pain and stress over the last year. But from experience, I have learned that those are the best kinds of projects to tackle, because challenges, the hard things in life, are what make us stronger, teach us valuable lessons, and result in inspired writing.

So, thank you, Frodo, for reminding me that life isn't always easy, and to remember that I should never give up and to not admit defeat, no matter how daunting the task that lies ahead.

Hold Onto the Sky

Yesterday it was so windy, that the clouds could not hold onto the sky. The morning hours were cloudy, gray, claustrophobic. But gradually, the sky cleared - it had no choice - the cloud cover was swept away. I had no desire to go outside, and when I did, my trip was cut short. It was the perfect day to stay inside to read and watch DVDs, which I found myself doing for the remainder of the day.

Today, we're back to normal for this time of year: chilly and a bit breezy, with intermittent sun breaks and warming temps, just enough to encourage the plants to perk up and to send out the ever-optimistic golfers.

The strong, unrelenting winds from yesterday stirred up thoughts about how life's trials can knock us over or simply wear us down with its ferocity. It may come all at once with an unexpected phone call, email, or letter, or sneak up innocently and escalate into a full-blown gale.

Times of stress and challenges are tough to bear, no matter the source or duration, but when I remember to hold onto the sky with faith and hope, after the winds blow past, a calm that soothes the mind and soul will reappear.