Life has meaning only in the struggle. Triumph or defeat is in the hands of the Gods. So let us celebrate the struggle!
–Stevie Wonder
This month has certainly been a doozy, but in the best of ways. May 25th was my commitment ceremony for my time studying at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). Not only that, but throughout the whole month, I have taken the time to not only reflect, which I mostly did last month, but also to celebrate my accomplishment fully, not just on the 25th. As the above Stevie Wonder quote expresses and inspires times of struggle, call for proper celebration.
My college journey started in 2019. First, I studied hard and got my GED that same year and followed the momentum without a second thought, and enrolled in college. I chose SNHU because it had online courses and an English and creative writing program. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with a degree but I knew I wanted to get one to prove to myself I could. As for the chosen major and program, I had been writing poetry for myself since I was 18 to cope with my depression and anxiety, so I thought it was a good start reference to study. If Im being honest, though, in those early days, I really doubted myself because I hadn’t stayed with a full commitment to something for too long in my adulthood at that point. So, the fact that I have now completed the process is unbelievable and overwhelming to me and worth celebrating. I apologize now because I have a feeling this won’t be the last time I write on this, and yes, Im aware most of my blog posts have been about my impending graduation, but that’s because it is such a monumental deal for me. Celebrating this journey and no accomplished endeavor is what I hope is the first of many big deal moments moving forward in the future that calls for celebration.
However, my achievement made me think about celebration hard hence why I am writing about it this month in this blog. Sadly as someone who lives and struggles with mental health issues, I have not given myself many opportunities to personally celebrate, so I have never given the word much thorough investigation, surprisingly. The Oxford Dictionary defines celebration as : to show that a day or an event is important by doing something special on it. Given this definition, why don’t we/I celebrate every day?
Even the earlier shared quote from Stevie Wonder begs this question because if every day is a struggle and we should celebrate the struggle why do we all pick special and specific days and events to fully celebrate? As a person who doesn’t give myself enough credit, the commencement ceremony was so special for me; my family gathering and showering me with gifts, treats, and sweet words was everything; it felt so good and so foreign. Should it have felt so foreign, though, is that right that it was, is that a personal problem or one society has created? As a writer, of course, my response to these questions was to find more quotes and seeing others’ thoughts on this concern :
I think people in Italy live their lives better than we do. It’s an older country, and they’ve learned to celebrate dinner and lunch, whereas we sort of eat as quickly as we can to get through it.
–George Clooney
The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.
–Oprah Winfrey.
These respective quotes shed light on my concern for celebration and lack there of common self-celebration. Out of the two I really like the Clooney one because it really highlights how this issue could well be and likely is a societal problem in American culture. I do believe, however that this problem is fading because of influential people and work bringing attention to it. As someone who tried to stop my life way too early, I fortunately understand and know now how every day is precious, beautiful, meaningful, and worth celebrating. I also know, unfortunately that not everyone feels this way or has come to this understanding as of yet. If you are one of those people in the ladder group, first, I am so happy you have found your way to my page as that is its purpose, but more importantly, even though I know how hard it is to take the time every day to celebrate yourself and the fact you have stepped into and completed yet another day.
What I’m Currently Working on
As always, to follow my progression or what I am doing, you can head over to the Works in Progress Page or follow the Facebook Page where I post updates and share fun tidbits daily.
Author Recommendation
this month’s author recommendation is a duo, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. Currently, I am reading the classic that is Good Omens. For those who have never read it, I highly recommend it. Pratchett and Gaiman create a fun, witty, and innovative narrative on good and evil through the perspective of a cast of wack, goofy, and smart characters with unique takes on life as the world is on the brink of Armageddon. As my readers know, I like to make my monthly recommendations tie into my theme for the month, and I dug deep and wrapped my brain tirelessly to do so for this novel and came up with this quote from the book:
“The world is full of all sorts of brilliant stuff and I haven’t found out all about it yet, so I don’t want anyone messing it about or endin’ it before I’ve had a chance to find out about it. So you can all just go away.” ― Neil Gaiman, Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
This quote plays into the latter notion of my thoughts on self-celebration in the blog, as it truly captures the element that a new day of living is worth celebrating alone.
This week, my final week of my final term online with SNHU, has been one full of reflection. Not only do my last two classes that end tomorrow call for reflection in all the final assignments but I personally have just found myself in the state as this journey comes to an end and the next begins. Reflection is an important process of both the beginning and start of anything; we can not move on to the next thing until we reflect on how we have grown and changed due to whatever just ended. Lao Tzu says, “The greatest journey is the one of self-discovery.”
My college journey started in 2019. First, I studied hard and got my GED that same year and followed the momentum without a second thought, and enrolled in college. I chose SNHU because it had online courses and an English and creative writing program. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with a degree but I knew I wanted to get one to prove to myself I could. As for the chosen major and program, I had been writing poetry for myself since I was 18 to cope with my depression and anxiety, so I thought it was a good start reference to study. If Im being honest, though, in those early days, I really doubted myself because I hadn’t stayed with a full commitment to something for too long in my adulthood at that point. So, the fact that I have now completed the process is unbelievable and overwhelming to me. I apologize now because I have a feeling this won’t be the last time I write on this, and yes, Im aware most of my blog posts have been about my impending graduation, but that’s because it is such a monumental deal for me. Reflecting back on the start of this journey and how it started spontaneously on a hopeful whim to how its ending is a journey in itself.
I went into my first year still doubting, soft-spoken, and completely and utterly scared. The change in me and how quick it came within just that first year of courses online is still outstanding to me. I found myself doing and speaking out about stuff that I had wanted to for years from going by Lj at long last, even though I had wanted to since at least pre-K, and playing D&D (Dungeons & Dragons) for the first time and becoming completely enamored, shout out to Critical Role for educating me during the pandemic. Though these things may seem small, they showcase the confidence and personal growth I went through during not just that first year but continued still today.
This website and this blog are also a huge reflection of my growth, as this is not something I would have been confident enough to do, sadly, without SNHU. My time, though brief, as a freelance writer with multiple websites back in 2020 and 2021, such as ScreenRant.com, wouldn’t have been fathomable either, and further the decision and acknowledgment of myself that I am not that type of writer to write articles and news. I also have a huge opportunity coming up that could be life-changing that I would have never sought out or thought attainable for me without the confidence and self-awareness I built with my time at SNHU. More than that, though, my skills and identity as a writer/who I want to be as a writer would not have happened without SNHU. Self-identifying as a poet/author of the YA contemporary and fantasy audiences of those voiceless individuals looking for themselves would not have been found without the countless times of reflection made throughout the various courses I had with SNHU.
See, as a writer, I know how important reflection is because reflection is a necessary process during revision. I story in any format can not be told before you understand why it is YOU are telling. Similarly, so, a story can not be fully finished before you reflect on it to see how that beginning sentiment changed and if that change is good. As of right now, this chapter of my life, which is my college career, does seem like it changed me for the better, but only time will tell. Recently, I made a Spotify playlistreflecting on my time with SNHU if you want to check that out. I already posted it on the official JustLj Facebook page, which you should follow for updates, which there will likely be a lot of soon.
What I’m Currently Working on
Currently, I am one day away(as of April 27th) from the last day of my last two courses at SNHU, Advanced Creative Writing and Popular Culture, instructed by Professor Molly Sutton Kiefer and Phillip Wagner. As always, to follow my progression or what I am doing, you can head over to the Works in Progress Page or follow the Facebook Page where I post updates and share fun tidbits daily.
Author Recommendation
This month, keeping the theme of reflection, I am going to share my own work in this section. One piece is from the start of my college journey, and another represents the end of my college journey.
All The Blue Things
Tonight, Dani was finally going to put an end to the constant object of his maddening mind. Blue, blue, nothing but blue in a continual loop in his head for over ten years ever since he first saw it.
It was one of his earliest memories as he was startled awake one night by an intruder like the world had never seen. Dani himself first thought himself to be having a nightmare. What he saw stumbling and fumbling around his room looked like an exaggerated character from one of his favorite TV shows.
The creature had to hunch over to fit in Dani’s small bedroom; however, it was thin enough it didn’t seem to be too uncomfortable. With its giant hands and feet, it crawled around in search of something, which Dani found odd since it was in his room.
Suddenly the Monster roared, only it wasn’t a furious noise, more like a boisterous chuckle. At a closer vantage point, Dani could see the creature was extremely hairy with untamable blue fur all over it except for its hands and feet, as well as three sections on its face for its large bulbous eyes and a small green buttoned nose.
An outstretched mouth began to salivate as the Monster stared at Dani’s favorite teddy bear. As if the moment couldn’t get even more unbelievable, the beast spoke.
“Blue,”
it mumbled out through the gross amount of fur and saliva. Referencing the color of the teddy bear, it began to open its mouth wider as it slowly leaned towards the stuffed animal as if it was going to eat it.
“No! That’s mine!” the young Dani loudly muttered out.
The Monster stopped what it was doing and turned its attention to Dani.
“Give it!”
Dani proclaimed, to which the Monster tilted its head then said,
“Mo Monster love blue.”
Then just like that, he tossed the blue teddy bear in his mouth, letting out a disgusting loud burp afterward to show its satisfaction.
“Yummy blue!” Mo announced before escaping away out of Dani’s bedroom window.
Now fifteen years old, Dani was an odd young man due to his obsession with Mo Monster. Gone were the days of having friends. Most of the kids who grew up with him had given up on him. His parents had even given up on trying to have him be an ‘ordinary’ kid. At one point, they had him go to a therapist, but after a while, even the professional gave up.
Dani could care less about his well-being and what people thought. He would focus on all of that after he captured Mo Monster.
Dani learned a little more about the bizarre blue beast throughout the years each time it came lurking. After the first couple of times, Dani realized Mo would leave only after consuming a blue object, much like his once blue teddy bear. Dani would use all of it to finally trap the Monster as his prize.
Knowing tonight was the night Mo always visited ever since that fateful night so long ago now. He waited till his parents left for their date night, so the house was all his, so he used every inch to his exposure of entrapping his mischievous enemy.
Piling various blue things right in the middle of the largest area in the house, the family room. He had acquired a snare trap that was discretely hidden near the alluring pile that would string him up by his ginormous feet so he could not run.
Of course, Mo wouldn’t just come while Dani was obviously waiting for him, so he would need to go about the night as if it was any other and wait till the Monster arrived. While pretending to be asleep, he heard a loud ruckus he hoped was a tied-up monster.
Dangling by his feet, trying to get out of the snare, was the enormous blue and fuzzy wide-eyed Monster known as Mo.
The moment should’ve been the crowning achievement of Danis’ life, but looking at his rival now, he couldn’t help to see a metaphorical representation of what his own life had become.
Mo Monsters’ whole life was chasing one thing over and over with no real purpose. Seeing that he was doing the same, Dani released the Monster, who was never seen again.
Whispers in the Wind
The city buzzes around me, a whirlwind of noise and chaos. In the midst of it all, I feel like a ghost wandering through a world that no longer reconizes me. My name is Maya Dawson, a poet by passion, a lost soul by circumstance. The words that used to flow so effortlessly from my pen have dried up, leaving me hollow and adrift.
On this particularly bleak afternoon, I find myself in a rundown cafe on the outskirts of the city. The smell of stale coffee and cigarette smoke hangs heavy in the atmosphere as I sit alone at a table, staring blankly at the empty pages of my poetry notebook.
Just then a voice breaks through the fog of my thoughts—a voice belonging to an old man with the kindest eyes and gentleness of smiles.
“I’ve been watching you, Maya,” the old man says, his voice soft in tone but filled with the utmost certainty. “I can see the storm raging within you, the words trapped in your heart, desperate to be set free.” His words echo throughout me, stirring something long dormant deep inside.
Eli, as the old man introduces himself soon, thereafter, becomes a rather steadfast presence in my life over time. He leads me to a hidden garden tucked away from the rest of the world, a sanctuary of silence and solitude. It is there, surrounded by lush greenery and the sweet scent of flowers, I feel a whisper of something—something greater than myself.
As the days turn into weeks, Eli becomes a mentor of sorts to me, guiding me through the labyrinth of my own soul. He encourages me to confront my greatest fears, to embrace all of my doubts, and to ultimately give voice against the shadows that haunt me. Through his patient wisdom, I begin to see a glimmer of light at the end of my voiceless tunnel.
One night, under a canopy of stars, I find myself alone in the hidden garden, the weight of the world heavy on my shoulders. With a trembling hand, I pick up my trusty old pen and begin to write at long last in my wordless book for poems. They come slowly at first, like a hesitant whisper, but then the words finally flow like a torrent of emotion and truth.
In this moment of complete vulnerability, I close my eyes and whisper out my deepest sorrows as well as my happiest joys to the wind, letting my written word become spoken to perhaps the heavens above.
“ I do not want to go to war
with myself
with my identity
but I have always struggled
with the sense of self
the sense
of me
The fear is to unlock the cage to let it be free to only know what not to do
The uncertainty that the decision would be a guaranteed benefit to me
But what if the long turn of hide and seek is the real regret
and only thing that will come with guilt once
I come face to face with death
Is the fight worth standing up for
or should I fall and start anew
What really am I fighting
if
I am constantly questioning
Am I afraid that these thoughts aren’t me
or am I actually terrified to truly come out of my shell
and be the butterfly
I was always meant to be.”
I feel a sense real release—of true peace—washing over me like a cleansing rain.
And then, to my utter surprise, and amazement, I hear my very words echoing back to me through the gentle breeze as the wind rustles through the nearby leaves causing me to weep.
As the first light of dawn breaks over the horizon of the garden that following morning, Eli appears beside me as I calmly awake my pen and notebook still clutched and open in my hands and dry tears adorned down my cheeks. His eyes are filled with a quite knowing as he says with that gentle caress of his old smile to me, “You have found your voice, Maya. You have spoken to God, and He has heard you.”
In that moment, surrounded by the beauty of the garden and the warmth of Eli’s kind presence, I realize that the key to finding myself was hidden within me all along.
Poem for the Month
Following the same sentiments as above in the theme of this month’s theme of reflection, I will share a poem from the beginning of my college journey and a more recent one.
Although change is inevitable, it is by far the most common struggle we all share. The process of change is hard for everyone, and we all have our methods of dealing with it, whether healthy or not. Like the brain in the picture above, many of us just choose to ignore the stress of the struggle while others spiral visibly and noticeably due to the anticipation of change. This month, this struggle of the anticipation and stress of change has been at the forefront of my mind.
I have always had a hard time dealing with and adjusting to change. Both at small and small volumes, change has been a trigger of stress in my chemically imbalanced and anxiety-filled mind, and I have dealt with change poorly on both spectrums of too much and too little. Change should not be downplayed or played. Change just simply is and should always be viewed that way, it is neither good or bad it just is. Change happens and is transitional. We all started as a change in this world. This is a hard concept to grasp, though, because we are human, and all humans are reactionary. So how do we really deal with change properly, then? How can we make it less of a struggle? How do we prevent the stress it usually always brings on?
Well to be relatable I googled searched those questions to share here, and the top result took me to The British Heart Foundation, where it had an article of twelve tips on coping with change: #1- Learn to accept what has happened #2- Pace yourself #3- Ask for help from loved ones #4- Look for new opportunities #5-Carry a self-help reminder #6- Have a strategy for dealing with stress #7- Have a story that you can tell easily #8- Give yourself time #9- Be involved with others #10-Get into a routine #11- Avoid self-medicating with alcohol or drugs #12- Don’t make major life changes. While that’s all well and good, and some of those are good suggestions, I honestly wouldn’t recommend searching Google for all your struggles (sorry for tricking you). Struggles are personal and should be treated as such, and the internet, while great, doesn’t solve everything but can be a helpful resource. At the end of the day, everyone is different and will need to do different things to cope with their struggles.
Currently I have been stressing with upcoming changes coming with my undergraduate career coming to an end next month. The stress of figuring out what to do next weighing heavy on me. As someone who knows my mental health limits, I have developed the ideal coping methods and tools for myself in these moments, but that doesn’t mean it’s any easier; it just means I have lived and struggled long enough to know myself; this was not always the case. I find, for me personally, writing such as poetry or journaling, reading, praying, and talking about the triggers of change and stress to others as my prime was of coping for mostly anything but especially in regards to change. More often than not, talking out and through your struggles to someone will give you a new perspective and reassurance about the circumstance. Friends and family are great resources to utilize so utilize them. Change can be scary, and that’s exactly why it makes sense not to do it alone.
That last sentence is also a good transition to discuss the flip of that in regard to friends and family. Just as you should utilize and lean on them in these stressful moments, remember that they should also be able to do so on you. Coping, seeking, and asking for help is more difficult for some. I know that for a fact. Sometimes, even the most independent people are the ones in the most need of help. I have had a few people currently in my life going through different levels of stress due to change or anticipation leading to change. Although it is inevitable, our support and awareness of change and the potential stress it may bring to ourselves and others should be just as reliable as that inevitability.
What I’m Currently Working on
Currently, I am in week four of eight of my last two courses at SNHU, Advanced Creative Writing and Popular Culture, instructed by Professor Molly Sutton Kiefer and Phillip Wagner. As always, to follow my progression or what I am doing, you can head over to the Works in Progress Page or follow the Facebook Page where I post updates and share fun tidbits daily.
Author Recommendation
I was first introduced to this story by watching the movie adaptation staring Abigail Breslin years ago, but just recently bought the book at my local library’s book sale, and I think it is very appropriate to use it as my recommendation for this month’s blog post as it has been appropriate for me to read during this time. The story is told by a lawyer navigating a recently passed client’s nephew in following the client’s last will and testament. It is a story of the true meaning of life, meaning the small things. This story really puts life into perspective, and regardless of your age, race, gender, and beliefs, I highly recommend it.
Though the month of February is coming to its quick end, being as it is the month that has a holiday dedicated to love within it, I wanted to write this month’s post on love, of course. Whether romantic, platonic, or even self-love, this month is supposed to be all about celebrating each and every various form of love that enriches our lives. Unfortunately, I think Valentine’s Day focuses too closely on the romantic form of love as the month is marketed as a time for lovers, dates, and romance, but love is so much more than just that.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, love is defined as “an intense feeling of deep affection.” Love is a feeling, one of the most powerful of all other feelings, as it is the one that often overwhelms and controls most human emotions for better or worse; it’s a force that drives us. That is why, like I said, it is so limiting to have the holiday about love just be centered and marketed in the romantic form. Love extends to so much more than just romance; though romance is fun to think about, love is about the raw, passionate, and caring nature of our core feelings. For some, romance is not at the center of their core, so they detest Valentine’s Day and February and sometimes in association with the two love together. That is so unfortunate because love is so often not in relation to romance but to passion, like the love of your family, friends, pets, hobbies, and so on. Most importantly, though, love should extend to our feelings about ourselves.
Self-love is a concept that is often overlooked but is crucial for our overall well-being. It’s about treating ourselves with kindness, compassion, and respect. In a world that constantly tells us we’re not good enough, practicing self-love is a radical act of rebellion of sorts. It’s about embracing our flaws, celebrating our strengths, and recognizing our worthiness. It is often said you can’t be loved or know love until you love yourself first. This sentiment is why this year, for Valentine’s Day, I celebrated myself as my Valentine and even wrote a poem about it, which, if you follow the JustLj Facebook page, you already saw it, but here it is.
As February comes to a close, make a commitment to love yourself fiercely and unapologetically because you are worthy of it and deserve it. Remember that. Then spread that love to those around you in your life to create a ripple effect of kindness and compassion that will make a true holiday of love worth celebrating.
What I’m Currently Working on
Currently, I am in week seven of eight of two courses at SNHU, Advanced Fiction Writing Workshop and Seminar in American Literature, instructed by Professor Abigail Rose-Marie and Jacqueline Smith. As always, to follow my progression or what I am doing, you can head over to the Works in Progress Page or follow the Facebook Page where I post updates and share fun tidbits daily.
Author Recommendation
This suggestion may seem odd for this blog post, but Matthew J. Kirby writes a compelling and raw narrative on the importance of self-love and looking past physical attraction and whatnot. Yes its true I am not recommending a romance even though its Feburay and this blog is about love and instead am suggesting a historical fiction about Jack The Ripper and the Elephant Man. The protagonist, Evelyn, is a matchstick girl who is such a coming-of-age character. She has flaws, she hates herself and isn’t looking for love or to be a hero. She is just looking for safety. That is so relatable, honestly. So if any of this interests you which if you’ve read this far into this blog Id like to assume it does go check it out A Taste for Monsters!
January is the month my birthday happens to fall in. To get a better understanding of how I felt about my birthday this year, I’ll share the poem I wrote for it. FYI, though, I already shared this on the Facebook Page, so if you aren’t following that yet, go do that now!
“Happy Birthday To Me”
Twenty-nine years today
have come and gone.
I can’t believe that I
have lived this long.
Eighteen years, I thought,
was enough. What will become
waits for us.
Eleven years more, I
have gotten past that.
Over four hundred bright
new days I have seen with
all their clumsy blessings.
Just shy of one thousand
hours I almost didn’t see.
I have decided to keep running.
All the endless possibilities and
beauty I never could see
before I truly started living.
Eleven. Eighteen.
Twenty-nine.
As you can see in the poem, my twenty-ninth birthday had me feeling more introspective this year than in years past. I woke up that day, January seventeenth, and instantly had this poem written in my mind. I thought of all the what-ifs and things I may not have gotten to see. Ultimately, I just felt blessed.
I should probably back up just in case you don’t know my story and I will do that by sharing another one of my poems.
“As I Lay me Down”
As I lay me down to sleep
One last post to
his Facebook feed.
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
He types, clutching a bottle of
pills ready.
But if I should die
before I wake
He hits postand
hopes for his end.
I pray God my soul
will take
He’d rather die than keep
making countless mistakes.
But if I should live for other
days, I pray
The Lord guide my way
And here I am still today.
I was Eighteen, a high school dropout, and a disappointment to myself. I didn’t think I could turn my life around, so I did what I did.
As I said, though, this year, on my birthday, I woke up just feeling blessed, utterly aware of how incredibly wrong I was back then and how fortunate and lucky I am. I am proud to say that even though I have not completely turned my life around, I am in the process. I am months away from graduating with a college degree with honors in April. I have made the President list at SNHU on multiple occasions.
I have just been taking that this month and thinking, WOW. If only eighteen-year-old me knew. I was not done then, not by longshot, nor am I even close to it now. That’s life, and that’s beautiful.
So often, I hear the phrase ‘just another day’ in regard to our birthdays, and while I understand the sentiment, I ask you to think of this blog the next time you say start to say that. Yes, it is ‘just another day,’ but that is amazing and wonderful. Let’s not let the fact that making it to another year of existence is miraculous no matter the age because who knows when our days are no more.
What I’m Currently Working on
Currently, I am in week four of eight of two courses at SNHU, Advanced Fiction Writing Workshop and Seminar in American Literature, instructed by Professor Abigail Rose-Marie and Jacqueline Smith. As always, to follow my progression or what I am doing, you can head over to the Works in Progress Page or follow the Facebook Page where I post updates and share fun tidbits daily.
Author Recommendation
As this is my birthday month, I am going to recommend my favorite author/poet and biggest inspiration, Shel Silverstein. I do not believe you are ever too old or too young for Shel Silverstein. It also just so happens to be Where the Sidewalk Ends fiftieth birthday this month as well too, so it’s appropriate. Several of Silverstien’s works celebrate milestones this year, so make sure to go follow the official Shel Silverstien Facebook Page!
Poem for the Month
Similar to Shel Silverstein, with it being my birthday month, I am going to share one of my favorite poets and inspirations here. Lucille Clifton. I also used these two poems as references for my earlier shared birthday poem, so go read both and see if you can find the references! birth-day and poem on my fortieth birthday.
The Oxford Dictionary defines tradition as the following:
The transmission of beliefs, statements, customs, etc., from generation to generation; the fact of being passed on in this way.
December is what I would call the month of tradition. Everyone has traditions centered around and for this month. With family. With friends. Or even just with ourselves. Tradition is a powerful term as it can give a sense of nostalgia, stress, and frustration, as well as the purest sentiment of happiness. This month also can be a mark and trigger for loss to many. It is a fickle time of year that can be downright difficult to navigate.
My family doesn’t have many traditions, especially as us seven siblings have gotten older. As a child, I don’t recall any family-held traditions, but in my later teens and up to now, we have the traditional game night on Christmas Eve, where we play board games and card games as a family. This tradition is a cherished one, in my opinion, and brings togetherness to our large family. However, as I have been reminded this year, there has also been the less joyous tradition of my sister’s health spiking negatively. Something about the holidays really does a number on my sister’s weak immune system. Over the last several years, she has more often or not had to be taken to the hospital right before, during, or right after Christmas.
This has caused her children and the rest of my family to worry and keep our guard up just in case. To me, this has been much more noticeable in her eldest son this year. He is on edge and just full of worry. Tradition is good, but in this way, it is powerful. Tradition is created to teach habits into memory, and globally, Christmas/the holidays is the longest-standing tradition, and I believe this is why we center so many good and bad traditions around this month.
When setting and engaging in traditions, we need to remember how fickle and powerful they truly are. Take another lesser family tradition of mine, mostly because me my Mom and my sister watch it a lot whenever outside of the holidays, watching Fiddler on the Roof. As a kid, my favorite part was singing along with “If I Were a Rich Man,” but as I got older and my appreciation for good narrative and God grew, the part I used as the image of this blog became my favorite.
It is a pivotal part of the story as Tevye and his traditions are tested yet again by one of his daughters. As Tevye does throughout the story, he begins talking to God. At first, it is a one-sided conversation of utter frustration until Tevye opens up his mind and heart that going against his traditions to make new traditions was, in deed, God’s plan all along.
So as Christmas and the New Year come around, remember Tevye as a reminder not to necessarily stay steadfast to our traditions. Be open and ready to be taught the lessons of old and new traditions regardless of how they started. Every ending is a beginning waiting to happen in this crazy, beautiful, never-ending story we call life. That is the true reason for the season, is it not? No matter what you believe or don’t believe, this time of the year marks new beginnings in one way or another.
Be merry and stay healthy, all!
What I’m Currently Working on
Currently, I am on my Christmas break with my online studies at SNHU. I finished my last term with A’s in both courses. My next term, which is my second to last term before graduating, begins Jan. 8th. Those two courses will be Advanced Fiction Writing and Seminar in American Literature. Other than that, I have been working on building this website further along with the accompanying Facebook page, which, if you haven’t followed yet seriously, you should by going here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554686300912; we have been sharing Christmas poems and favorite characters on there this month.
Author Recommendation
Although not entirely about Christmas, I felt it was within the right mood to share Long Live the Pumpkin Queen: Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas as my recommendation this month. I read this sequel story to the classic Halloween and Christmas movie by Shea Ernshaw recently. The book very much follows the aesthetic of my brand and the site as it follows Sally struggling with her identity after marrying Jack and becoming the Pumpkin Queen. It is a beautiful self-discovery journey, and Ernshaw does a terrific job of capturing the essence of Nightmare Before Christmas and Sally while also building upon and making her own world. I highly recommend reading it!
November is the month of thanks. The time we give thanks. The time we are thankful. We celebrate Thanksgiving, stuffing our faces with food and preparing for Christmas and the New Year. For me this year I have a lot to be thankful for actually. I recently moved closer to family. I got back on medication for my mental health. I am exalling academically with my studies at Southern New Hamshire University (SNHU), still being on track to graduate this coming April.
Sure, there are things I am still stressed or worried about. Certain things that haven’t gone right/haven’t happened yet, but I am so thankful for the things that have gone right/happened. I am healthy both physically and mentally, more so than I have been in quite some time. I am surrounded by loved ones and a support system that is more quickly available to me for some time. My dogs, Duke and Hazel, are well and behaving so good given the chaos that has been moving and now the holidays. Honestly, life is pretty dang good right now. Small victories are big victories at the end of the day because we are all living small lives in a big world.
I don’t say this to sound dark but to enlighten and encourage you. It is so easy to beat ourselves up and drag us in the mud over such small things. Nobody is perfect. Trust me. I am such a self-doubter and infamous self-sabotage. It has taken me such a long time and through a crazy, twisty, sometimes dark road to be the more positive-thinking, optimistic, and open person I am today. A lot of that is mostly in part due to me finding my niche. My thing. Stories. Reading and writing, and poetry have always been my thing, but I tried to run from it. Hide from it. Make it bad somehow instead of embracing and being thankful for it. I encourage you all to do the same. Find your thing. Latch on to it, and I guarantee you will be better for it.
What I’m Currently Working on
Right now, I am on week six of eight in my current term at SNHU, taking two courses, NEW MEDIA: WRITING/PUBLISHING and INTERMEDIATE FICTION WRITING WORKSHOP. Both courses have been so fun and interesting. The NEW MEDIA class is what led me to create this website, which is a new experience but one I am excited about moving forward. The WORKSHOP is the second part of a three-part course of fiction writing workshops. I have just completed the second draft of my final project for the class, a short story entitled “The Last Storyteller,” which you can find an excerpt of in the Works/Works In Progress section of the website.
Author Recommendation
This Month I recommend reading Caitlin Schneiderhan, and specifically her Stranger Things novel Flight of Icarus. Schneiderhan is a writer of the acclaimed Netflix series and wrote this story following season four stand-out Eddie Munson. The book takes place two years before the events that take place in season four.
I am currently reading this and thoroughly enjoying it. I am a fan of the show, but Eddie Muson was a character that hit me hard. He reminded me a lot of myself. If you’re like me and Eddie resonated with you in season four, I highly recommend picking upFlight of Icarus because Schneiderhan writes him beautifully from screen to paper. Also, if you are chomping at the bits for season five of Stranger Things, stop ripping your hair out and pick up this book in the meantime. It may not have interdimensional monsters but it is a heart-filled story about a kid who everyone has pegged making his own destiny.
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