Thursday, January 31, 2013

You Can't Hide Your Emotions from Your Pen

The forces of the cosmos have been itching my britches all month:
     14 days of being sick,
     Two water main breaks (always on the days I really need a shower),
     Car accident (but minor),
     Fell down some steps and bumped my wittle head,
     Loss of two special loved ones...
     all in one gray, bleak, wintery January.

My horoscope predicted it all, always 100% right, because this is the guy who writes it- you can tell he knows his stuff:  
Rick Levine, the "other" man in my life...

Here are some horoscope highlights for the month:
January 9:
*Though I was surrounded by chaos, this horoscope made me laugh out loud, and a good laugh at oneself is a most miraculous tool. *

January 18:
There is an obvious relationship between how much of your feelings you get out into the open today and the amount of resistance you encounter over the next few weeks. Even if it's difficult, slow down and deal with your emotions.
*I did NOT follow this advice*

January 29:
Attempts to accomplish too many things all at once today could lead to doing a poor job at all of them. Just take care of each problem as it pops up in a calm and collected manner.
No fewer than 43 suckilicious problems popped up this day.  I calmly dealt with each one and optimistically turned to the next day, assuming I was through the rough patch:

January 30:
You manage to keep a smile on your face, even when you encounter difficult situations.  If life seems overwhelming, remember that Saturn the Tester is only giving you a wake-up call.
Saturn, if you were here I would call you a big meanie face, but you aren't and it isn't nice to talk behind people's backs.

January 31
Everything seems to run smoothly today, helping to soothe any lingering tensions. 
Smooth always means smooth, except when it doesn't.  Because today there are no problems and in the void of issue resolution, hugging husbands, and kissing boo boos, I am feeling ALL the emotions of the month with no distractions to help.   

Maybe it's just one of those facts of life: The Mom is always the last to feel.   

As I look at the writings of the month, it turns out I was releasing some of the emotions into my words in ways I didn't understand at the time.   But that's the thing about writing children's books.   You think your book is just about a noodle or a raindrop or a kid who likes to jump in puddles.  But it isn't.  It never is.  It's about dealing with change, about fear, about freedom.  Stories come from somewhere deep inside us, taking our emotions with them.  

Cosmos, I concede January to you, but I get February!

What are your February plans?  Please share them so I can revel in the excitement of what is bound to be a great month. (It can't be worse than January...can it?)


  1. January is my most dreaded month also. But thankfully after today it is done for another year! Here's to a great February!

    1. Hi Melissa! Thanks for stopping by. My posts are usually more fun than debbie downer...but January stunk!

  2. Hope I wasn't one of your January 29th problems!

    1. No, discussing children's books with you was the highlight of the day - by far and away!!! (The eggs were good too)

  3. By the way, that astrologer of yours looks like he might live in a van down by the river.

    1. No way- maybe catching flies with chopsticks blindfolded, but not living in a van. Unless it was a cosmic van...

    2. Maybe a carboard cosmic box? Do they make those?

    3. Hey you two, I wouldn't be tempting fate...

  4. Sorry to hear about all your unfortunates during January. Hoping February's better, Lauri!

    1. Yes, it really was a stinky month. I suppose stinky is better than boring, but only just so.

  5. Yes, take hold of February with a strong grip. Leash it with a lasso. Do whatever you have's yours!
    Btw, I love your quote, "...Stories come from somewhere deep within us..."

    1. I'm windsurfing with a leash on February! Even though it was a rough month, maybe I needed to be taken kicking and screaming to visit my feelings. All those years of hiding emotions in business need to be unwound somehow.

  6. Sheesh --you had a crazy month. I hope those emotions coming out on the page turn into some great picture book pages. :) My goals for february are to get accepted into a creative writing MFA program for children's writing and make some serious headway on the young adult novel I'm working on. Here's to hoping!

    1. Holy Schmoly! Good February goals. If I can just stop moving the item "work on MG draft" to the next day every day, I'll be feeling pretty good!



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