Unexpected Gifts

Last Saturday I was caught off guard. It had been a day that I was not feeling very good about myself (as a person, a parent, a teacher, a writer), and then I saw notifications waiting in my Gmail Inbox. I admit, I am a sheepish in sharing this, but I am amazed when I realize that anyone takes the time to read my writing. Yet, I found myself absolutely floored to realize that several people had left comments in response from the last blog post I published. They took the time to open my blog post, read my writing, and then shared with me what parts of my writing resonated with them. A few of them encouraged me to join them through different writing forums as well. What an amazing gift.

A few days later, as I wrote in my journal about how reading these comments made me feel, I realized that publicly sharing my thoughts through writing has helped me connect with others in a way I didn't expect.

My dear friend and colleague, Lisa, also responds frequently to my blog posts through face-to-face conversations at school or via text messages or emails. After I posted this post, Lisa wrote me a Haiku in response. Another time, after reading this post, Lisa shared how her reading identity was significantly altered after she suffered a severe concussion, helping her better understand how reading was a different experience when it was hard, allowing her to provide more empathy to her students. Listening to her experience helped me realize that I had not yet taken the time to share with my students how I struggled as a reader and how it impacted my mindset as a learner. As a result, I made some changes in how I was instructing my students and decided that I needed to share more of my experience as a struggling reader. Although Lisa might not realize it, her responses have affected me as a teacher, as a person, and as a writer - another unexpected gift.

It is no secret that I am an avid reader. One reason that I devour books and poems and articles and blog posts is for connection. When I can relate to someone else’s experience or can linger over a line, I often feel a deep connection with that author, just through his or her words. It is as if I somehow know the author because of his or her writing.

Truth be told, before I began writing this blog, I never really saw myself as someone who had the ability to create connection through my words.

Connection is a gift, whether it be through writing or face-to-face conversations. I am humbled to realize that I have found connections with others through my writing.