Slice of Life Challenge: Navagating Change

Slice of Life Tuesday Challenge: Change 

To say that this has been a year of change would be an understatement. In this past year (not even considering COVID or distance learning), my life has looked radically different than in past years. Some major events included (but are not necessarily listed in order of importance):

• I moved out and rented a house. 
• I adjusted to longer periods of time on my own, without my children.
• I went through a divorce.
• I legally changed my last name.
• I started dating again.
• I rescued two older cats, who now live with me.
• I bought a house.

Looking back, it seems like every time I started getting a little bit comfortable with a new normal, some big change occurred. Some changes were positive and welcome. Yet, many changes were incredibly painful. I constantly felt paralyzed with fear and overcome with intense emotion. I wanted everything to be perfect, something so unattainable, even in the best of times. I wanted to hide any perceived weakness. Fellow readers, my life has felt really messy for most of this last year. All tangled in knots.

A few days ago I was journaling and suddenly realized that navagating change has been my constant this year. I reread some of my writing from this year with curiosity. It turns out that I learned a lot about myself. It turns out that I am stronger than I thought.  

Without a doubt, I will continue to navigate change this year. May I continue to learn from it and embrace it in the most positive way possible. 

Looking to connect with a positive, supportive online community? 

Consider sharing a slice of your life with Two Writing Teachers. 

All writers are welcome!

Why I Slice

I have been going through some heavy, messy personal stuff for a long time now. In the past week I have been especially grappling with some significant shame. Although writing is often healing for me, sometimes it also takes me on a path that makes it easy for me to ruminate on all that is painful. This sort of writing often comes out in my daily Morning Pages in my notebooks. 

My current notebook

Although I can usually talk about messy, heavy stuff with trusted friends and professionals, I purposely do not share in a public way - through social media or through blogging. 

Yesterday, for the first time in over a month, I wrote and posted this slice on Two Writing Teachers. Writing about an ordinary moment (playing games with my children when we were without power) helped me to focus in the best way. In addition, it reminded me how writing about one ordinary thing can be worthy of my time and valuable to leading a writerly life. As an unexpected bonus, writing a slice helped me set aside some of my shame yesterday. It helped me feel good. I needed this.

Chief of Operations and Lead Writer, Stacey Schubitz, reminds us that, "Our daily lives are filled with so many worthy moments just waiting to be written about and shared." Indeed, writing about ordinary moments is essential. In addition, I love reading small moments from other slicers and rereading some of my own slices. 

Thank you to the Two Writing Teachers writing community. This is why I slice.  

Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #1: "Thanks for Nothing" Inspiration

Have you heard of Jennifer Abrams yet? She's an educational and communications consultant, wise author, and inspiring human. I have had the pleasure and good fortune of learning from her through face-to-face and digital workshops and especially from her books and blog posts. My personal copy of Having Hard Conversations is defaced with all kinds of notes scribbled in the margins and sticky notes flagging sage gems.

On Jennifer's blog, Voice Lessons, I was inspired by her latest post "Thanks for Nothing." I was compelled to reflect on a few of my experiences of rejection and discomfort, later grateful what those lessons taught me.

This December, I challenged myself to write and post a Haiku-A-Day. With apologizes to Jennifer for not writing quite as eloquently as she did, here's a triple Haiku I recently penned:

Thank you rejection

of building coach position - 

pain sought deep knowledge. 

Thanks, mismatched beliefs 

challenged deep conversations -

diffused comfort zone.

Thank you rejection

of fellowship- sticky hurt

fueled writing fury.