Time to start!

A few weeks ago, I took my girls to Victoria Park in Charlottetown.  It was a rainy day, but somehow that's where we ended up!  I watched contentedly as they ran and played around the playground.

A lady came chasing her dog, well on her way with child, and engaged me in conversation.  She is soon to have her second daughter and wondered about the closeness in age, the relationship my girls shared, etc.  She continued to ask questions in a friendly effort to get to know me, which always leads to the inevitable... Well, my husband died... and we continued to chat for quite a while, following the kids and dog around the park.

In conversation about what I am "doing", I mentioned that I am writing.  The truth is I have not been writing, not really.  I haven't been able to secure routine babysitting for the girls, and haven't mastered the work from home and be a single mom thing... I don't work well in chaos, and have been working to establish a bit of structure to our lives since our recent move here to PEI.  My creative energies are best dispersed in the context of some semblance of routine :).

This sweet friend I met at the park, in a quick instant, had texted a friend and connected me with Kier Lowther, the author of the award winning novel, Dirty Bird, among other things. In terms of writing, she said this is the best contact on the Island.  I thanked her very kindly and was slightly terrified to learn that he was expecting my call...

For several days, I wondered, Who is this Kier Lowther?  Am I really going to call him up and go to coffee with him, to tell him I want to write??? I googled him and visited his web-page, only to discover he was around my age... not the middle-aged gentleman I was picturing in my mind.  What does the title, Dirty Bird, represent, anyway??  I wondered.  I am embarrassed to confess that my inner nice-Christian-girl-pastor's-wife self was tempted to shy away at going to coffee with a strange man, married, around my age, author of Dirty Bird, etc, but my hesitancy truly lied in the insane feeling of being a single woman...  I finally concluded that I was being ridiculous, I am a grown-up, and was really excited about the opportunity. So, I gave him a call :).

Kier, an incredibly kind and generous person, decided to invite the girls and I over to his house during his lunch break, with his wife and kids.  It was awesome.  They were so gracious and kind.  He listened to my story and gave insightful advise about writing, connections with writers groups in the area, suggestions toward publishing, etc.

I don't think writing is the only thing I will do with my life, but it is where I want to start.  For some reason, soon after Lynn's death, I knew my healing would not be complete until I wrote it all down.  For some reason, I am writing this blog and sharing ridiculous amounts of vulnerable information with hundreds of people, and for some reason, God is still here, still working, always present.

Routine writing is my next step.  After church (I'll tell you about that soon...), doctors appointments, school and activities for the kids, food and health issues, I HAVE to start writing regularly and moving toward my goal...

God is present in the big events of life, but also in the daily practices that shape our lives.  Wisdom allows us to recognize the nature of God in all of His wonderous glory in something as simple as a writing schedule :)

Well, here goes nothing!  It's time to start!!!