Another Blog

I’ve been holding onto this blog for awhile. I created the name in my head months ago and created the blog just to hold onto it. Never wrote a single post. I was so excited by the name and creating a new writing ritual- which I desperately need - but really couldn’t decide what to do with it. 

So here I am.

It’s about to be a new year, and I vowed I wouldn’t create any writing habits or rituals around a New Year’s resolution. I guess I’m just so fixed on the cliche of all those resolutions people make just to die long before they become internalized, creating new habits or an updated lifestyle. Funny thing is, the only long-term writing ritual I ever truly stuck to was the year I committed to a daily blog.

So here I am.

Last night two of my writing buddies and I had our annual holiday meet-up. Sushi and a book exchange. We’ve done this many times before, but for some reason I felt different coming home with my new treasures this year. Right place, right time, right books perhaps. My two gifts: First, How to Love a Country by Richard Blanco. This gift is a treasure from my friend Helen. She knows I love Blanco’s poetry. She may not realize this, but strangely until now, I haven’t owned one of his collections. My first Blanco collection and the note Helen wrote inside, well I have no words. Not yet. The second, from my friend Annmarie is another treasure, How to Fly (In Ten Thousand Easy Lessons) by Barbara Kingsolver* signed by the poet and also has an inspiring note from Annmarie. She knows I’ve always wished I could fly. 

So here I am.

Two new poetry books filled with inspirational words, not just from the poets but from my dear friends. I decided it’s time. This blog is born today. And I decided, the ritual is that there is a ritual. I’m going to start one now as a sort of mini project, and when I’m ready to move on, I will start another. 

Rite here, write now.

*Interesting note, we all brought books for each other, so we each got two books. You know we’ve been writing together for a long time when I bought the Kingsolver book for Helen, she bought it for Annmarie, and Annmarie bought it for me!