PJs on, feet warm in striped woollen socks, I climb to bed, adjust a pillow behind my back, sit comfortably, pull the covers almost to my chin, and open a new feel good journal. I received it as a goodbye gift today from a colleague whose last day in our school is tomorrow. I read her thank you letter on the back of the journal and my eyes well up. I browse the journal with its morning and evening pages, adorable illustrations and inspirational quotes.
The evening pages invite to list gratitude and I think of the long day I have behind me, a fantastic writing lesson in the morning, a walk with friends after lunch, a coaching session after school. Of course the journal would be on the gratitude list and the sweet words I received.
I don't write anything in the journal, only wonder whether to start tomorrow morning or on the first of December. The journal doesn't have dates and I try to recall what day and date it is today. It's Tuesday.
Wait! It's Tuesday! I was supposed to write a slice today. I completely forgot.
It's so warm in bed. My body has no interest in moving. My mind says to forget the writing. My heart knows that not writing is forgivable.
And then there's the writerly part of me that musters the strength and pushes me out of bed, cheerleading, "You can do it! You can write quickly. You are a writer."
So here I am now, tap-tapping away on the keyboard, creating a slice, because it is Tuesday, and this is what I do on Tuesdays. Feels good.
Wow--I admire the way this quick slice is organized to come full circle at the end!
ReplyDeleteI am impressed you got back out of bed to type your post! Thank you for sharing about the journal and your decisions.
ReplyDeleteThere is something about not writing a Tuesday. It just doesn't feel right. Glad you posted.
ReplyDeleteGetting out of bed to do anything requires tremendous effort! I am trying to get back into my blogging habit after some recent life events threw me for a loop. I only hope I can show as much discipline as you do and generate such well-crafted slices!
ReplyDeleteGood for you! What a sweet journal! Each day you write in it, you'll gaze at those cutie pie mice and remember your friend. I say start Dec. 1, it is such an auspicious day.
ReplyDeleteI love that the writerly part of you gets you out of bed! Perhaps I should have borrowed that little nudge over the past few weeks. SIGH. You've turned this moment of forgetting into a moment of memory. I love it.
ReplyDeleteTerje, you jumped out of bed to write? Amazing! That takes energy, persistence, and faith in the model of teachers as writers. Happy Holidays. I already saw Santa. He was beautifully adorned the day after Thanksgiving. My little granddaughters marveled at the paraders and waited for Santa.
ReplyDelete