Mari was and will always be remembered for her eXtraordinary personality. I know that technically eXtraordinary doesn't start with an X but not a single word in the dictionary I found could be used to describe Mari. So I decided to be creative like we used to do on road trips when I was a kid. We'd play the alphabet game and because it was next to impossible to find words that started with an X so we were allowed to use a license plate if it had one or if the second letter, like eXit, could … [Read more...]
Day 80: The Strip Club
I like to think of this as more of the strip club of our life. When we write we are opening ourselves to others. We tend to put a part of ourselves, no matter how big or small, into our writing. In order to be good we have to be willing to strip down some of those internal layers so we can write what needs to be written and not just what we want to write. Think about that for a moment. In order to do that we have to leave ourselves partially vulnerable as we write. Not everyone can do this. … [Read more...]
Starting Our Cross-Country Trip Heading to Alaska
It's hard to believe that we have officially moved out of our townhome, cleared housing, made the drive to our first stop in the Chicago area where we are visiting family for the next week. It almost seems like yesterday when Keith came home from work and told me he was offered a guidance counselor position at the MEPS in Anchorage, Alaska. He asked if I wanted to go there and I said absolutely. He got his orders on September 18 and then the move came up and now our stuff is on its way to Alaska … [Read more...]
Day 79: What Does Your Mother Think?
I have to admit that when I write about anything personal that I try not to write something that might hurt my mom's feelings. For me, my writing is important to me and I try to be as free as I can. However, to put something down on paper that might later hurt my mom, even if what I say is true, I don't feel it's worth it to hurt her if I can help it. The bottom line is she's my mom and always will be. Has my life been this picture perfect life where my childhood was something other people … [Read more...]
V is for Vivacious
Mari always had a vivacious personality that made her seem larger than life. I think back on Mari's life and I love how it seemed like when she was in the room she filled the room with spunk and spontaneity. She could always find something to do, especially when it involved things she wasn't supposed to do. For example, white walls were her canvas. And she wasn't picky with the instrument to use as she used colored pencils, crayons, pens, permanent markers, regular markers. You name it. … [Read more...]
Day 78: Dimes in Ivory Soap
I really loved this one. To put it simply. Only I know my complete past. Only you know yours. Only every person out there today knows their complete past. So you might be saying, "So what." The thing is if you don't write down your past who will. There is a very high probability that unless you're someone like Lady Diana or Billy Graham that no one else will but you. It's just like Mari's story. I already know that unless I write it down that the chance of it ever being written is slim to … [Read more...]
Day 77: Why Write?
I love this question. Why do I write? It's simple really. I do it because I've grown to love it and couldn't imagine my life without it now. I write when I'm sad. I write when I'm happy. I write when I have news to share. For me it has become an extension of who I am. I think, in a way, people who read what I write have a view into who I am as a person. I've become happier as a person. I think back to the day I started this site. I was so sad. Grief engulfed my body. I was missing my … [Read more...]
T is for Time
Mari's time may not have been long on this earth but the impression she made on those around her will last forever. When we think about a young child dying, the first thought that naturally comes to mind is they're too young too dye or they're time was too short or they aren't supposed to die before me. We are human and in our brains we can't wrap it around how not just a child, but any child for that matter, could die. Our hearts break any time we hear of one passing. Mari was no … [Read more...]
Day 75: Signs and Messages from Above
Are there actually signs or messages from above? Do they actually lead us down a path if we choose to follow? Are they there so obvious that if you choose not to follow it you come to regret that later? Are you too stubborn to follow them because it's not according to plans we have for ourselves? I think the answer almost every time is a great big yes. We are all selfish by nature. Of course we think about ourselves and what we think will be best for us. But no matter how great or how grand … [Read more...]
Day 74: The Truth and Nothing But
It's interesting when we compare fiction to nonfiction. With fiction as a writer we many times will infuse a part of who we are into our stories, but the story itself is fiction. It comes from the recesses of our mind as we write down the story. Nonfiction, however, is based on real life stuff. Take this quote: "The writer of memoir makes a pact with her reader that what she writes is the truth as best she can tell it. But the original pact, the real deal, is with herself. Be honest, dig … [Read more...]
