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| Heidi Chiavaroli |
We all know there’s something special about the last day of school. That taste of freedom, that light backpack with report card tucked inside, the knowing that there will be no homework that night or for the next 78 days.
As my kids came home from their last day of school, my oldest went off to enjoy an afternoon at his friend’s house. I planned a special afternoon with my youngest son, Noah. It involved Toys R Us and ice cream, so let me tell you, he was more than a little excited. He bought Pokemon cards at the toy store, opened the cards in the car before giving them a once-over and…asked what kind of ice cream we were going to buy. We made our purchase and went home to pack the cones with coffee ice cream—his favorite. Noah devoured his cone in three minutes, wiped his hands on his pants and…asked if I could push him on the swing. After a few minutes of that, he was off to swing his golf clubs.
No, my son does not suffer from any type of attention disorder, but he did race through our afternoon to get to each new fun thing.
I was reminded about my writing journey. I’m often in a rush to research for a new story idea, in a rush to plot and interview my characters, to write “The End” on my last page so I can edit and then submit.
I’m in a rush to obtain an agent. I’m in a rush to be published. And I’ll bet after I’m published I’ll be in a rush to check my Amazon Author Rank or win a contest with my book.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with striving toward the finish line and running the race God has set for us, both in our writing and in our lives. But all too often I forget to enjoy the journey. I’m too like my young son, ready to inhale my ice cream to get to the next best thing.
Right now, without any contracts or deadlines, I’m free to write. When I want, how I want. But I don’t often savor that freedom.
So today, when I sit down with my manuscript, I’m going to take a breath and be still for a moment. I’m going to relish the simple fact that I’m about to create something, to write something only I can write.
And then I’ll plunge myself into my story, not let myself go to bed until I’ve reached my word count. And in two months, once again, I’ll start submitting. But this time, I’m going to make time to be still and enjoy the journey.
Do you find yourself rushing to get to the next best thing?
How do you take time to savor the journey?
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Heidi Chiavaroli writes History Woven in Grace.
She is a wife, mother, disciple, and grace-clinger. She is a member of American
Christian Fiction Writers and has finaled in the Genesis contest and My Book Therapy’s Frasier contest.
