I’m a mother, writer, partner, teacher, and general person-in-the-world. I write about the life I get to live, always trying to keep in mind that “Just to be is a blessing; just to live is holy” (Abraham J. Heschel).
Mostly I see it like this. David Whyte, in his poem “The Opening of Eyes” writes:
“…life is no passing memory of what has been
nor the remaining pages in a great book
waiting to be read.
It is the opening of eyes long closed.
It is the vision of far off things
seen for the silence they hold.
It is the heart after years
of secret conversing
speaking out loud in the clear air.”
Writing is about exploration, revelation, and ultimately, connection. By doing this in the clear air, we choose connection over isolation, speaking over silence, and fierceness over fear. I try to do that, and I love when it actually works.
After the amazingly humbling “success” of my first blogging project, “Radical Lent: A Poetic Approach to 40 Days in the Wilderness,” Iwrote a 2010 Advent blog: The Season of Light: An Invitation to a Poetic Advent. Lent 2011 is coming up on March 9th, and that’s my next project, so please come back and visit!
If you like poetry, spirituality, story-telling, and reading about other people’s family lives, you might enjoy following along. I’d sure be happy to have you here!
Out of my combined love for writing and teaching, I also created Heartland Writing, a therapeutic writing practice based in Urbana, IL. Stop by and visit often because I’m in the process of updating the site (March 2011) and will be offering some new writing groups this summer.
As always, write with love!
Great Blog! I too find that writing and being creative is a very therapeutic exercise. It brings a little slot of calmness, order, quiet, me-time and fulfillment to the all-day long rush-hour of life’s happenings that course around us as we deal with Spouses, Children, Jobs, household stuff and all the other things that fill our days. I like your clarity of writing and am enjoying reading. Thanks!
Thank you for visiting my blog and leaving a comment! I will browse here and make myself comfy.
I am so much enjoying your writing, Leslie! Elizabeth sent me the link last week, and already I have shared it with my nephew and his wife (new parents) and my sister (his mother). I wanted to share with you my favorite line from Rumi: “The breezes at dawn have secrets to tell you; don’t go back to sleep.” I am not a morning person, rarely see the dawn, but have a romanticized view of it nonetheless, which this line encourages. One day when I get to move back to the mountains, I might make a practice of getting up before dawn at least once a week to listen to the breezes.
beautiful blog, and I think “unanswered questions” cuts close to the bone… RT