Well, not as stormy as they are out on the east coast. I’ve been thinking of everyone who has been besieged by Sandy; nothing like the fury of a hurricane to remind one of how vulnerable humans actually are in the face of nature. Now is a good time to give a little to the Red Cross – even a bit will be appreciated by some family who has lost much.
Even without a hurricane, my life has been a series of rough weather lately, a stew of loss, sickness, and a little madcap physical damage as well. And yet, I’ve sailed on through it. Sleepless nights, black-eye, sprained ankle, loss of a fine friend, dog medical emergency, car troubles… Two weeks of chaos. Routine out the window. Writing time allocated to fixing, nurturing, healing. And now, two weeks later, I wash up on the shore of wanting to write and am afraid that I’ve lost the knack.
So. Time to read a little. Play around a bit with words. Not expect much and be okay with whatever happens. Time to remember that this writing stuff is not a chore or an item on my to-do list. Perhaps a wee bit of time to stare into the woodstove and watch the flames shimmer orange and purple, and not think about how to use tonight’s full moon rising behind threadbare clouds as an image.
Sorry about the recent troubles. I love your return to beauty and patience. What else can we do but persist, endure, prevail….?
Thanks so much for writing this post. We’ve had some chaos here, too, and I needed a reminder of the path back to the desk: reading, playing around with words, gentle expectations, and plenty of staring at what’s primal.
I hope you’re resting on calmer seas now.
Writing from recently storm-beseiged Block Island…
Your recent posts have been insightful and beautifully written.
You obviously have not lost the knack. Write on, my friend. Your words help to strengthen all of us.