Running has been a life-changer and a lifesaver for me. I played three sports every year from fifth grade-twelfth and I ran for conditioning, but if you ever told me that I would run long distances for fun I would have thought you were crazy.
In college, my metabolism was not keeping up with my late-night snacking, so a few friends and I started running around campus after dinner. It was so much fun talking with friends, laughing as the miles went by and finding an easy way to fight stress and weight gain.
I decided I wanted to be a teacher and my first year was rough. On top of the stress of being a new teacher, I was also planning a wedding for the fall. My mental health was in turmoil, so I used an old remedy and started heading out for a run. When I ran, I had the blissful peace of being by myself. No one was calling my name over and over. There were no problems to solve. I could let my mind go blank or use the time to make plans.
Through the years, running has saved me mentally and physically, but it has also taught me many life lessons. Here are a few I would like to share with you.
What you think you could never do is possible. You just need the courage to do it. I have always enjoyed competing in races. I had done all the distances except for an ultra-marathon which is anything beyond the marathon distance of 26.2. A friend asked me if I would consider doing an ultra and I laughed and said that I thought running more than 26. 2 was crazy. I discovered I should never say never when another friend told me about an ultra her husband did. She said the atmosphere was very chill and I could stop whenever I wanted. I ran it and fell in love with the ultra-distance. I learned that to grow I needed to step outside my comfort zone.
Don’t compare yourself to others. This lesson took a while for me to learn because I always wanted to be as fast as someone else, or as fit as another person, but everyone has strengths and weaknesses. You will be happier with more success if you focus on your improvements instead of trying to run or train like someone else. I now repeat the power phrase, “Run your own race.” When I am in a race to remind myself that there are many ways to run, and I need to do the one that fits my style.
Recently, I was at a race, and I complained to a friend that I wished I was faster. She told me that most people will never run a race at all, so be happy that you have experienced what many people never will
Don’t judge a runner by the exterior. A lot of running depends on how much grit and heart someone has. Runners come in all shapes, sizes, and ages, and you never know which ones are going to crush the race. We go to a race every year where you complete as many one-mile loops as you can in 48 hours. Every year, one of the ladies reads a book while she walks. I heard two young men making fun of her, and I hope they checked the results after the race because she covered 102 miles! Everyone has different ways to arrive at the goal.
Running is therapy. If you doubt this, go to any race and talk to the people around you. Most runners have a story and most of them are inspiring. At a recent ultra we were in hour 10 and I asked a young man how he was doing. He replied, “I am so glad to be here.” I thought to myself, “Oh, he has a story.” Unfortunately, I couldn’t keep up with him to hear it.
Runners use running to prove they are stronger than a challenge they face, or as an outlet to beat the challenge. It is a positive way to fight the mental roadblocks.
Rest is maintenance not laziness. I used to think I needed to train every day until I realized that my days off made me stronger. Rest should be a part of every program, and our daily life.
You are stronger than you think. Running has taught me how resilient the body can be. My ultra coach told me, “Jen, when you hit a wall, don’t give up. Sit down and let your body recover. You will come back stronger.” It is amazing to see what you can do. Running allows you to keep pushing further.
Running teaches you about balance. Your best runs are when your mind and body are working together. If your mind believes you can achieve something, the body will follow. Running is a way for me to use my body to reset my mental health.
Runners are outstanding people. Creating community is one of the keys to living longer, and the running community is accepting and encouraging. Your social life will improve with running.
If you run, you are a real runner. I have heard that expression many times. What is a real runner? Everyone has a different concept of the answer to that question, so don’t worry about it. If you run, you are a runner.
Running helps you to know your body better. You learn so much about how your body works when you run. You will learn about how fast you can go, when you need to hydrate, what foods work best for you, and many other things.
Running has taught me not to only focus on one thing. I should diversify my approach to everything including running. For years, I only wanted to run. I ignored all the wisdom about stretching, strength training and cross training, I had limited time to work out, so I wanted to spend it running. That method worked great until my fifties when the injuries started happening. I now do all the other parts of a balanced exercise program instead of focusing on one thing.
Well, those are a few things I have learned while out running. What lessons has running taught you?
Most people are uncomfortable with silence. They rush to fill the void that silence can create, but silence can also help you in several different ways.
If you want someone to talk more, you need to talk less. Ask a question and then listen. When the person is finished, don’t respond right away. Let silence hang in the air. Most people will continue to speak. I used to run a smoking cessation program at a high school. If a student was caught smoking, the student had to come to our meeting and begin our program. We were speaking with a boy asking him how much he smoked. Here is the conversation.
Smoker: “I don’t need help; I don’t have a problem. I don’t smoke much. I only smoke a pack a day. I can stop if I need to. I don’t think I have a problem. Do I have a problem? Can you help me?”
“Yes, we can.”
“I need help.”
Sometimes you need to allow someone to walk through the problem on their own. You need to step out of the way.
Silence can help you learn. We tend to want to interrupt a speaker to share our story, but listening completely can teach us valuable information. We can learn more about each other as well as learning about what someone is teaching us.
When we rest in silence, our mind can clear, our anxiety calms, our distractions disappear, and we have a chance to reflect and focus. When we are silent, we can be more creative. I come up with the best Ideas when I am out running by myself.
Silence can be a weapon. When my class became too noisy I never raised my voice, I just stopped talking and gave them that look that said I expect better from them. I was blessed that it always worked.
Use silence to find out more about the people around you, and use it as a mental health tool.
A Few stories from 40 years of student trips to France
I have taken 20 student trips to France, and each time I prayed that the students would be safe and have an amazing time. It was always an honor for me to show them the country I love. I know it was a dream come true for some of them, and it was the start of something greater for several. I am retired now, but I will have those memories forever. I would like to share a few with you.
The missing roof
I was a chaperone on a trip where we drove in the South of France. There were three vans and I drove a car. The lead teacher was leaving a parking garage in front of me when she realized the van was over the height limit because of a sunroof. She turned around to use the other exit, but the van was too tall for the exit. She backed up and gunned it, shearing off the sunroof which landed on the ground in front of us. One of my students jumped out of the car grabbed the roof, yelled, “I’ve got it Madame!” to the lead teacher, and put the roof in the car. We were all slightly in shock. I told my students, “O.k. Madame is probably upset, so no one laugh which of course made us want to laugh more. Just as we were regaining composure, Madame hit a speed bump at a high rate of speed, and the boy in the back went airborne while clutching his boombox. When we arrived to return the cars, a student carried over the roof while Madame explained there had been an incident.
A misunderstanding
The ocean swim
When my students discovered our hotel was feet away from the ocean they made me promise that we could go swimming even though we would be there in April. I was hoping they would forget, but the night we arrived, the boys knocked on my door and said, “Madame, we are ready to swim.” When we came down to the reception, the receptionist asked, “Do they know the barometer is dropping rapidly?” “Do they know how cold the water is?” One of my students understood what she was saying, so I motioned to him to say nothing. When we were on the beach, I said, “Okay, on a count of three, we all run in the water. One, two, three!! I stayed behind and videoed the boys including my son as they hit the cold water. I can still hear the screams, and they even dove into the waves.
Greetings matter
One of the cultural points I always made sure my students understood is the importance of greeting someone when you enter a store or restaurant. It is an important sign of respect and politeness. I will tell you the importance by telling you two stories.
I took my sister and my two young children to France one year. We entered a store and the clerk was in the back, so I was going to wait until I was closer to greet him. My daughter ran up to him and said, “Bonjour!” He then began to tell me how impolite I was that I had not greeted him. I explained I was only waiting to come closer. He said he believed me because the princess knew to say hello. Every year after that we stopped in to say hello and he would say, “La princesse has arrived.”
The bird market
We were heading out of the metro to meet back with our tour group when I realized it was Sunday and the bird market was open. I told the girls to turn left and when we entered the market there were rabbits that each of the girls picked up. I took pictures and texted their moms saying, “Look what the girls are taking home!”
Notre Dame burns/the rose gardens
We had a trip planned to France in 2019. One of the parts I have always loved of Notre Dame is the rose garden in the back. One of my students quietly asked me one day if we could see the rose garden when we went. I was surprised she knew about the rose garden. She told me her grandmother’s ashes had been scattered there. It was her grandmother’s favorite spot. When Notre Dame burned, I knew the rose garden had been wiped out. I told Julianne we would try to get near the gardens. We walked along the protective wall and called out to one of the workers. He told me it was too dangerous to come closer, but he took a picture of where the rose gardens were. Every year, I check to see if the garden has been restored.
The jellyfish
In St. Malo, there is a man-made swimming pool with a high dive. Most of our students were jumping off the high dive and asking me to jump too. I have a fear of heights, but I was going to jump until one of my students said, “Oh, look, une méduse ”(jelly fish) I was impressed she knew the word for jellyfish, but there was no way I was jumping in with the creature.
The allergic reaction
I found out I was allergic to hazelnuts when I ate a crêpe filled with them. My leg was crimson, so my friend drove me to the nearest pharmacy. I showed the pharmacist my leg and told her I was having an allergy to nuts and she said, “Yes, you are!” She gave me a Z pack of antibiotics. That was one of the many times I realized how strong and effective French medicine is.
The nut brownie
On our last trip, I had a student who was allergic to all nuts. We were eating in a restaurant, and the waiter had brought brownies for everyone. I cut into mine and saw a nut, so I turned and said, “Jenny, don’t eat the brownie! It has nuts.” The waiter asked what the matter was, so I told him we both had allergies to nuts. He took away our brownies and neither of us expected another dessert, but the waiter came out with ice cream for us and told us it was made from scratch in house. I thought that was kind of him to do that.
The catacomb experience
We knew the catacombs were on our itinerary, so we were talking about it before the trip and the counselor showed us a video about a man who went in there after hours and was never found again. At that point, I told the burliest boy that he and I were going through together and we were going to be in the middle because that was the safest place. He thought I was kidding, but when we got there I said, “Antonio! Come with me!”
Carrots and bananas
The first time we crossed the channel was the first time I was in a large boat. Our host mom said to eat bananas and carrots to soothe our stomach and avoid being seasick. It did not work. After an hour, Helen and I spent the rest of the trip in the bathroom.
The broken Orangina bottle
There are times when I can tell we are not wanted in a café or store. The stereotypes of the ugly American are too strong for some. We were in a small café and the atmosphere was tense. Kait knocked over her Orangina bottle and it shattered. I wasn’t mad at her, but when she saw the reaction on my face she started to cry. The atmosphere instantly changed. The owner came over, knelt near Kait and tried to soothe her telling her that it was not a problem and she should not worry. A connection was made and they saw we really aren’t much different than them.
Kait goes for a slide
It was raining one day when my daughters and I went to the top of Montmartre. Jessica and I were looking at the map when eight-year-old Kait climbed on the side of the stairs, slipped and started plummeting down the side. A policewoman on the top said, “On no!” I chased after Kait and caught her before she had gone too far.
An elevator experience
We arrived at one hotel, and I ended up with a single room with a balcony. As we were coming in for the night I said, “Well, I’m going up to my balcony apartment.” My friend responded by pushing every floor’s button before the door closed on me. We were both laughing so hard, I’m sure the whole hotel heard us. We had told the students that we had to be quiet and respect the other guests, so when I reached my room and the phone was ringing, the receptionist said the students were being loud. I told him I would take care of it. Lol.
Easter kindness
One year, I took some middle schoolers, and I knew a few still believed in the Easter bunny, so I wasn’t going to be the one to change that belief, so as soon as we were settled in the hotel, my daughter and two of the chaperones headed out to see what we could do about Easter baskets. We decided to have a snack in the patisserie and my friends wanted to go into a store so they said they would be right there.
We went into the store and ordered our pastry. I asked the lady who ended up being the owner if she knew where I could buy some Easter chocolate. I could see a change in her expression, and I knew I had done something wrong. She told me there was a famous chocolate store next door. As we sat down, another lady approached us and said, “Madame, I don’t know if you noticed, but we have chocolate here.” I told her I was so tired that I had not noticed, and I explained that I wanted to make 15 Easter baskets. She told me she would give me a special price and led me behind the counter where she put together beautiful bags full of chocolate and not only did she give me a good price, but she also kept adding extra chocolate. She put it all in a huge box so I could hide it from the students. While all this was happening my friend walked in, saw me behind the counter and said, “We have been in France for a half hour, and you are already behind the counter!” I was always impressed by the kindness she showed me that day.
Akyere saves the day
When you go to the Eiffel Tower there are vendors everywhere selling cheap souvenirs. There was a bird that flew. The vendor had been pestering us and one student Akyere pointed to the bird and said, “Make it fly.” He did, which meant he had to go retrieve it which gave us a chance to move away. Well done Akyere.
You will be the envy of all your friends
I used a travel agent named Manuela who was elegant and sophisticated. We had a trip scheduled for April and Manuela said, “You will be the envy of all your friends.” Unfortunately, it was freezing when we went and we all bought scarves to stay warm.
The bomb threat
We were at the Orsay Museum in the bookstore, and my 13-year-old daughter was with me as well as my friend Kelly. Jess asked to go to the bathroom and since I knew it was right next to us I said yes. A minute after she left, the alarm went off and we were told we needed to evacuate because of a bomb threat. I asked the man to let me go get Jess, but he said I had to leave. I was so upset, but my friend Kelly reminded me that I always told the students to go to the front of the building, so we made our way around and there she was waiting for me.
D-day
On one trip I was so focused on making sure everything was okay I didn’t realize we were going to the American Cemetery on D-day. When we entered there was a ceremony going on and I realized it was for the veterans from D-day. I was in the presence of the men who had stormed the hill at Omaha beach. I had a chance to speak with a few. It was a special moment.
Les Misérables
On one trip we started in London and went to the West End’s production of Les Misérables. It was phenomenal.
Hitchhiking
When I was a student, we were told that hitchhiking was safe, so my friend and I decided to save some money and hitchhike back home from vacation in the south of France. We were fine until the first night when we were picked up by an intoxicated man with a knife. After driving us around for a while, he stopped the car, turned off the lights, turned around and said, “Well now my friends.” I tried to open the door, but it was rigged shut. My friend jumped out the window, and the man started to take off with me in the car. My friend grabbed the window and yelled, “Stop!” luckily, he stopped and I jumped out the window. A motorist had stopped when he saw the lights go off. The intoxicated man was following us, so I told the motorist what had happened and he chased off the intoxicated man and drove us into town. We eventually decided to take the train the rest of the way home.
Water issues
When we first arrived in France in 1978 as students, we were told the French water was safe, but it would take our bodies some time to adjust to It if we drank the tap water. We had six weeks in France when we all drank bottled water, but when we moved into our families we felt guilty that we were drinking the bottled water while our families were drinking tap water, so we all gradually moved to drinking tap water and you could tell when someone had made the switch because it caused serious gastro distress for several days. Unfortunately, I chose to switch during exams.
Phonetics class
We had a phonetics class at the French university where we had to learn the phonetic alphabet by how words sounded. I had never done anything like this, and the teacher was terrifying at first. The first day, she was going to go through the attendance list. There was one name before mine. It was Fawn Bernback. She called Fawn’s name, Fawn said oui and Madame began to critique the way she said yes and she went on to complain with how difficult her job would be if this was what she was working with. All I could think was that my name was next, but when she called my name and I said yes, she moved on to the next name. She ended up being one of our favorite teachers by the end of the year, but that first day was rough.
St. Thèrese
When I was seven, I was confirmed in the Catholic church. We were standing in a line to tell Father Noonan who we had chosen as our patron saint. First, let me tell you that I was terrified of Father Noonan, but more importantly I had missed the info that said we needed to pick a saint, and I couldn’t remember the name of a single saint at the moment. I tapped the shoulder of an older woman in front of me. I asked her who she had chosen as her saint and she said St. Thèrese de Lisieux. I said, “Oh, me too!” God was working that day with my choice because St. Thèrese was French, she was a writer like me, and she has shown up in my life over and over with blessings. Her statue has been in an obscure chapel and at the first corner in Notre Dame. She appears when I least expect it but I always feel comfort when I see her.
The most impactful moment was when we had stopped in a small town and there was a beautiful cathedral. The students asked if we could go see it. When we entered it there was a sign that said, Have faith. Do not be afraid. I had quit at the end of the school year because I wanted to try my hand at writing, but I was afraid of failure. The sign seemed like a message for me. I walked over to the gift store and spoke with the lady in charge. After a few minutes, I said, “Why is everything dedicated to St. Thèrese?” The lady said, “This is her cathedral.” I cried that day because I felt that St. Thèrese was telling me I would be okay.
Les Marfils
The Marfils were our host parents. They were in their late seventies, and we were their last set of host students. They were living history for us. They told us about World War 2. There was still a form of a trench in their front yard, Madame told us about riding her bike with a friend when a bomb went off next to them killing her friend. Two Germans had lived in their house during the occupation, and they told us what living through that was like. They welcomed us into their home, fed us well and did their best to help us learn the language. I will be forever grateful.
Students in Bay
Before we went to Mt. St. Michel which is a monastery in the middle of the ocean with a crazy fast tide and quicksand, I always told my students to not walk in the bay at low tide. Once I was on top of the monastery and I saw two of the chaperones trying to write our school name in the sand while several students started to wander away from them. I later found out that the chaperones said, “Um, you do know there is quicksand out here?” They said the students tried to retrace their exact steps back to the parking lot.
Tripping over air
There are moments that are only funny to the people who were there and this is one of them. I had gone to the Paris cultural office with my friends and my daughter and they had amazing maps that highlighted the major monuments, so I took 20 to give to my students and put them in my tote bag. Suddenly, I tripped and my bag went flying, I hit hard on the cobblestones, and the maps were everywhere. My daughter said a woman started to help me and saw all the maps and decided I must be a little odd, so she turned away. I thought I had tripped over one of the metal rings that are attached to posts, but no, I tripped over air!
The outdoor market and painting
I have always loved the outdoor market at La Bastille, and we go so often I have the contact information for the belt seller, and I know the journal maker is Daniel. Once a year, there is a block sale nearby and we took some friends to it. One of our friends saw a painting she wanted. The seller wanted $300. She was willing to pay that but we decided to have brunch first. When we came back it was still there and the bartering began. Our French friends helped and she was able to get a good deal. It was an interesting experience.
Defacing national history
One year, my friend knew someone who worked in the French National Archives. We were able to see the keys from La Bastille and Louis the XIV’s will. Christophe was saying you can’t touch it without gloves, but it sounded like he said you can touch it, and one of my students reached out and almost touched it before Christophe yelled, “no!!!!!”
If you try to make your writing perfect from your first sentence, you may end up blocking your creativity. Let your writing flow with abandon knowing you can go back and polish your writing later.
Have you ever struggled with your writing to the point it feels like you are moving through cement? If I worry too much about every word right out of the gate, I begin to question the value of what I am writing. If I give myself space to make some mistakes, it relaxes me and gives me permission to be creative.
I am writing a middle school reader and instead of having a firm outline of what I wanted to happen, I started with a rough shell. Because I left the creative doors open, I am continually surprised by the paths where the book is leading me. I’ll go back later and add more description, strengthen verbs, slash extra vocabulary and clean up the grammar.
The best writing I do is the kind that makes me think, is unexpected, and becomes fun to explore.
Writing is like a lump of clay. You can continue to mold it until you are happy with the final product.
The next time you sit down to write, let the words flow and let perfection go. You might be surprised how good the result might be.
When it comes to weight loss the first thing we need to realize is that one program is not the answer for everyone. What works for you might be a disaster for me, so how do you figure out what will be the healthiest, most successful way for you to lose weight? Here are a few things to consider.
What is your reason to lose weight? This is crucial because if you don’t have the right motivation your success is doomed. Remember your why by posting pictures or other forms of motivation where you will see them. Here are a few reasons you want to be at a healthy weight.
A healthy weight lowers your risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, and stroke.
Excess belly fat is linked to cardiovascular problems.
Extra weight can increase your risk of type 2 diabetes.
Losing weight will decrease stress on your joints
Healthy weight improves your sleep.
Everyday activities will feel easier.
You may have more self-confidence.
Physical activity boosts your mental health.
What weight loss program will fit into your lifestyle? You need to pick a program that allows you to find success. Pick something you know will work for you, not something that works for someone else.
Start small and build on success. Keep your goals reachable. If you try to do too much too soon you may become discouraged and give up.
Keep pivoting. You might not find what works for you right away, but that doesn’t mean you are doomed for failure, it only means you need to regroup and find another plan.
Give yourself grace. We all have days when the cream cheese frosted cupcake is the best option. Get back on the healthy train tomorrow. Healthy living doesn’t mean we can’t eat what we love, it only means we have to find some balance.
Keep the temptation out of the house. I have certain foods that I won’t buy because I cannot control myself. My guilty pleasures are frosted animal crackers and Doritos. Whatever you do, do not go find the frosted animal crackers. You will be lost after the first bite.
Positive Thoughts and Affirmations to Heal and Strenthen
We hear all the time that our thoughts and words have the power to change us. When you tell yourself something enough you will begin to believe it. It’s also true that if other people say something about you enough you may begin to believe it, but you can choose what you believe because you know yourself better than anyone else.
If you agree that you will begin to believe what you repeat, why wouldn’t you start to channel words of strength and happiness? Kick those negative words to the curb because they are not helping you in any way.
Here is a list of positive thoughts and affirmations. Pick the ones who will help you the most and start saying them over and over until you believe them. You can print them out as cards and place them around your house as reminders. Be ready for a positive change because your words are powerful.
I will focus on the blessings in my life
I am grateful for all the good things in my life
I choose to let go of negativity and guard my peace.
My positive attitude will attract positive outcomes.
I will foster an attitude of kindness and understanding.
I am confident that good things are on their way.
I deserve to practice self-care and engage in activities that bring me joy.
I attract success and opportunities with my positive mindset and actions.
Each day is full of possibilities and adventures.
I will find my own joy and search for inspiration.
Every failure is a chance to learn and come back stronger.
I am resilient and capable of surviving challenges.
I am stronger than____(fill in the blank)
I am worthy of success and happiness.
I am enough the way I am.
My imperfections make me more interesting.
I attract positive energy. My voice and opinions matter.
I have the power to create the life I want. I am stronger than my fears.
Nick Jonas’ song Gut Punch hit me hard, because I can be hard on myself as well. When you see someone who seems to have it all struggling with the negative thoughts most of us have it drives home the fact that we all have to work harder on our intrusive thoughts and be kinder to ourselves.
I have struggled with those thoughts my whole life, but along the way I have developed a few tricks to switch my thinking from negative to positive. Here are ten that work for me.
Remember who you are. Don’t be ashamed of your accomplishments. What some might call bragging could inspire others, and those accomplishments don’t have to be awards and accolades. It could be kindness, grit, or being a good friend. When you start to tear yourself down, start going through the list of what makes you special.
Realize someone else might need to see a good role model, so spread positivity being who you are.
Find laughter through funny moments on screens, laughter with friends, or remembering funny memories.
Adopt an attitude. Decide today is not the day your thoughts are going to take control of you. Choose to give yourself grace.
Make a mantra. Have a positive sentence about yourself that you can repeat until you believe it. An example is, strong, smart, kind.
Replace negative thoughts with positive ones.
Have a growth mentality. You might not know how to do something today, but you will learn.
Know you limit yourself with negative thoughts. I can’t move forward with defeating thoughts.
Take time every day to shut off the noise. Heal, take a break, and find the quiet.
Find what soothes you. Music, creative outlets, running, walking, swimming, watching movies, and gardening are all possibilities.
Since I have been vending my books at the local artisan market I hear this question almost every week. Here are some of the comments I hear.
“I have an idea for a book, but I’m not sure it’s good enough.”
“I started to write a children’s book, but I don’t know where to go from here.”
“I would like to be a writer, but where do I start?”
“What if I spend all that time, but fail at being a writer?”
“I have written a whole series, but no one would want to read it.”
“You don’t make any money being a writer.”
All of these comments and questions have something in common. They are all based in fear. You might be afraid of judgment, or failure, but that fear is holding you back from your dream, your passion, and a great form of expression and escape.
So, the answer to the question what do you have to do to be a writer is you have to be fearless and you have to start writing. Stop worrying about the haters and the possible negatives and start switching your thoughts. Instead of saying, “What if I fail?” switch it to, “What if I succeed?” Instead of saying, “No one will read this.” Switch it to, “Maybe this could help someone.”
Don’t overthink it. I have a friend who has been telling me for three years that he was going to write a book. Today he told me he had three notebooks with notes and outlines. It’s a great idea to have a plan, but at some point, you have to end the preparation and implement the plan. You have to write.
Do you want to be a writer? Sit down and write then keep doing it until it becomes a habit and eventually you will realize that to be a successful writer you now have to add consistency and hard work, so what are you waiting for? Go write. The world might need your words.
There is a strange substance on your shoulder that smells like milk and you don’t care.
Multitasking is not a skill, it’s a necessity.
You keep wondering why there isn’t a this is what you do when guidebook for parents.
You are prepared for every possible disaster by carrying a wide variety of supplies including band aids, snacks, drinks, and at least one pack of wipes.
A darker side of your personality emerges when your child is bullied or mistreated in any way.
In your mind, your children’s needs are more important than yours.
You find yourself mesmerized watching a Disney movie only to discover your child has left the room.
When someone asks what you are reading you say Golden books.
A good night for you is when both you and the children go to bed early.
You plan an in-home movie with a few other parents, and you are all asleep on the floor by 9:30.
Dinner often consists of the quickest thing you can throw together.
Your toddler may have worn the same outfit multiple days.
One of the writing rules I hear often is a writer should have a plan before writing. This is a great idea because if the writer knows what comes next everything may flow better. I have found though that breaking a writing rule here and there can be magical. Let me explain by telling you about the book I am writing.
I want to continue to write different types of books and step out of my comfort zone so I can grow as a writer. I decided to write a middle grade reader, and I wanted it to be slightly biographical because my middle school years were rough. I wanted to use my experiences to talk about struggling with fitting in and finding an identity. I had a general idea of what I wanted to do in the book, but I had not written an outline or a plan. I had no idea that the book would write itself and I continue to be amazed at the paths it is taking me down.
The story takes place in the town where I grew up. Until I started writing this story I didn’t think about all the complexities within this small town. I knew I wanted to talk about the social division and what it is like for a young girl to be in a private school setting when her social status is drastically different from the other students, but suddenly I was writing about the spiritual importance because of the link with the Indian tribe that was present there.
The main character loves going to the local library that looks more like a stone castle than a library. She finds an escape in reading just as I did, and she learns more about herself through the kind librarian and what lives in the creepy basement.
There are some days that I wish I had a clear plan because nothing is coming to my mind, but there are other days when hours go by as new ideas consume me. This book is taking me longer than normal, but the twists and turns of the journey are fascinating.
Jennifer’s writing 