Happy birthday! In NYC my favorite coffee is wherever I’m walking by. I drank sooooo much of it during institute training, when I had a ridiculous commute and very little sleep. Now I treasure being able to enjoy a cup for its own sake, not because I require caffeine injected directly into my veins, lol.
I’ll have a latte please, 2% milk, sugar free vanilla, thanks!
Happy happy (belated) birthday, Christine! Thanks for this post.
Our four year old just recently started having the attention span to listen to chapter books at night. Formulaic Curious George books and Angelina Ballerina spinoffs are OUT, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is IN! We also play Go Fish almost every evening???!! So hopefully soon you'll be on a new plane of kid-dom! One can hope!
I haven't listened to this podcast about phonics, but you've got me interested! I'd read more on this! I have a soft spot for phonics myself since that's how I learned to read.
On the writing stuff, I can definitely relate. I haven't tried to build a "following" per se, and have my personal writing on private, shared with maybe 6 people. But I do feel eager to have people interact with what I write, tell me what they were thinking, and I want the writing to be semi-good! Like I have literary ambitions for my blog with a tiny audience. I haven't ever tried to send off my essays to be published because I get so discouraged thinking about the inevitable rejections, which seems a lot less fun than what I'm doing right now -- just writing about whatever I'm interested in at the time.
But at the same time, writing for a wider audience means that people you've never met can be encouraged by your writing (like me reading your substack!). So I feel torn.
I hope you can find a rhythm with your own work of getting to share authentically while also having a following of sorts. I think that sharing your writing in any form is inherently vulnerable, even as it's a source of meaning and purpose.
Thanks, Rebecca! That's exciting about 4-year-olds. My kid LOVES to read and I'm excited about diving into longer chapter books -- maybe sooner than I thought! And yes, HIGHLY recommend the podcast!
I totally hear you about having a tiny audience but still wanting, very very much, for it to be "semi-good"! I have spent a long, long time writing for probably that same size audience as you, and enjoying pursuing my random interests wherever they took me. I think when the time is right, you'll know! And you do have me curious about your writing :)
Happy birthday, my friend!! Here’s to you and to your finding those special quiet moments of refreshment! I’m with you--write for the joy of it, not the achievement!
Happy birthday! I love all of this, and I especially appreciate what you've shared about writing and the ridiculous demands of social media writers are expected to maintain. Great reminder to slow down and refocus on what you love!
Happy birthday Christine! I love that you've been able to slow down and reflect on joy and integrity in your writing, this is so inspiring :) I agree, the writing world online feels really high-pressure sometimes, but it's so important to just remember the joy of writing!
Happy birthday! In NYC my favorite coffee is wherever I’m walking by. I drank sooooo much of it during institute training, when I had a ridiculous commute and very little sleep. Now I treasure being able to enjoy a cup for its own sake, not because I require caffeine injected directly into my veins, lol.
I’ll have a latte please, 2% milk, sugar free vanilla, thanks!
Love it! No longer needed for survival for you can enough for its own sake!
So much yes! All the amens ☺️
I’m so glad your meds are working and hope you have the happiest birthday - enjoy your date night AND play!
Thank you so much!!
Happy happy (belated) birthday, Christine! Thanks for this post.
Our four year old just recently started having the attention span to listen to chapter books at night. Formulaic Curious George books and Angelina Ballerina spinoffs are OUT, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is IN! We also play Go Fish almost every evening???!! So hopefully soon you'll be on a new plane of kid-dom! One can hope!
I haven't listened to this podcast about phonics, but you've got me interested! I'd read more on this! I have a soft spot for phonics myself since that's how I learned to read.
On the writing stuff, I can definitely relate. I haven't tried to build a "following" per se, and have my personal writing on private, shared with maybe 6 people. But I do feel eager to have people interact with what I write, tell me what they were thinking, and I want the writing to be semi-good! Like I have literary ambitions for my blog with a tiny audience. I haven't ever tried to send off my essays to be published because I get so discouraged thinking about the inevitable rejections, which seems a lot less fun than what I'm doing right now -- just writing about whatever I'm interested in at the time.
But at the same time, writing for a wider audience means that people you've never met can be encouraged by your writing (like me reading your substack!). So I feel torn.
I hope you can find a rhythm with your own work of getting to share authentically while also having a following of sorts. I think that sharing your writing in any form is inherently vulnerable, even as it's a source of meaning and purpose.
Thanks, Rebecca! That's exciting about 4-year-olds. My kid LOVES to read and I'm excited about diving into longer chapter books -- maybe sooner than I thought! And yes, HIGHLY recommend the podcast!
I totally hear you about having a tiny audience but still wanting, very very much, for it to be "semi-good"! I have spent a long, long time writing for probably that same size audience as you, and enjoying pursuing my random interests wherever they took me. I think when the time is right, you'll know! And you do have me curious about your writing :)
Happy birthday, my friend!! Here’s to you and to your finding those special quiet moments of refreshment! I’m with you--write for the joy of it, not the achievement!
Thank you!! It feels so much lovelier to approach writing that way ☺️
Happy birthday! I love all of this, and I especially appreciate what you've shared about writing and the ridiculous demands of social media writers are expected to maintain. Great reminder to slow down and refocus on what you love!
Riiiight?? And thank you!!
Happy birthday Christine! I love that you've been able to slow down and reflect on joy and integrity in your writing, this is so inspiring :) I agree, the writing world online feels really high-pressure sometimes, but it's so important to just remember the joy of writing!
Thank you! It’s like I love online for the connections it provides, but also…So much pressure!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! 🩵🎉🩵🎉🩵 And this post was just what I needed this morning, so THANK YOU for giving ME a gift on YOUR bday!!
Aww yay I love it! Thank you!