Good Night
good job
good laughs
good walk
good thought
good tea
good sale
good grief (#bulls)
good hugs
good night, big dreams
On Dreams & Chasing Them
When 2013 kicked off, I made a promise on my chalkboard wall that this would be the year of BIG DREAMS.
So…what does that mean exactly?
I want to say YES more.
I want to finally learn how to play the guitar.
I want to eat Indian food.
I want to shut the f*ck up and listen more often.
I want to write every single day.
I want to walk around new cities.
I want to kick up my feet in the wide open space of nature.
I want to meet new people and learn about their lives.
I want to have more meaningful time with my girlfriends.
I want to write long thank you notes.
I want our home to be a reflection of who we are.
I want my son to be game for adventures.
I want to read more books.
I want to polish up on etiquette.
I want to have fun with fashion.
I want to give and give and give to those who need.
I want to dole out compliments every day.
I want to watch less tv.
I want to view more art.
I want to be less judgmental.
I want to be published.
I want to fly kites with Wells.
I want to feel pure exhilaration.
I want to swap the words “I wish” for “I will.”
Last night I decided to start chasing these dreams.
I began outlining a children’s book inspired by a photograph that I snapped last spring:
(Yes, this is me without makeup. Please be kind…especially regarding my eyebrows)
On this day Wells and I were laying around on a blanket and staring up at the tall trees with their bright green leaves. It was unseasonably warm and still. And I heard him babble. For the first time. Wells was marveling at moving clouds, cerulean skies, and chirping birds. Although a bit delirious from sleep deprivation, I was in complete awe of his sounds. In that moment, I felt him grow up. I witnessed a tiny part of his life in which he was discovering this huge, gorgeous world, and it was one of the most magnificent things I had ever experienced.
I think about that moment often and have felt for a long time that there is a story begging to be told. A children’s story, so that the magic of moments like this do not just pass by. So I began outlining. And although it’s just the beginning, it feels really good, and I can’t wait to keep going with it.
Did I ever see myself as a writer of children’s books?
HELL TO THE NO.
I’m much more comfortable writing nonfiction, poetry, etc.
But I like the fact that there were a lot of parts of my life that I never saw coming. I’ve always felt I was a writer who writes: here and everywhere else. So that’s what I stand by. I have a degree in Journalism and I’ve loved writing since I could hold a pencil. It’s not limited to one category, but encompasses many. Blogging is the icing on the cake (and I really, really love cake).
I’m also hoping to encourage others to chase with me, as I’m downright begging my sister to illustrate this book- she keeps saying no, that it just isn’t her thing. But I KNOW she would be amazing, and it would be a great challenge.
So…are you with me? Anyone else up for a chase in 2013?
Spent a good portion of my day at the vet with Theo.
Picked up a few extra groceries in anticipation of snowfall tomorrow (gnocchi, cheese, eggs).
Found a tv show that makes fun of The Bachelor and features Michael Ian Black.
New wallet needed, lots of online browsing going on.
So I’ll sign off with what I say to Wells as I put him to bed:
Good night, big dreams
