witter (ˈwɪtə)
vb – (often foll by: on) to chatter or babble pointlessly or at unnecessary length
n – pointless chat; chatterCOLLINS ENGLISH DICTIONARY – COMPLETE AND UNABRIDGED, 12TH EDITION 2014 © HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
this week’s witterings
This is the first moment I’ve found in the past couple of weeks to pause and share with y’all. Part of it is giving my all to work and my kids (especially baby girl who is currently teething!). And the majority is finding little to zero “me” time. Usually, I am able to make time to write and blog. These days, I’ve almost been too tired to read, and am barely getting in ten to thirty minutes a day to exercise or do chores. I signed up for NaNoWriMo and maybe produced a couple thousand words this last month… maybe? Needless to say, the struggle to create or catch my breath has been real, lol.
So what’s up?
If you follow my witterings, you’ve probably heard me talk about the choices we make. It follows the same vein as how you make a daily habit. You put in the minutes, the time to literally do.
And if you aren’t doing, chances are, you aren’t seeing results, right? That’s how a book gets written, or you stay in serviceable shape. It’s ten minutes of your day, more or less, where you put in the time. It seems so pithy, but trust me when I say it adds up.
Why haven’t I had time for writing or blogging, etc.?
Because I have a teething baby. Lately, she’s needed a lot of extra cuddles, between nursing and even during play times. My girl just needs more comfort. And if that means I have to put my laptop aside or stop my workout vid to pick her up from her jumper, I do it. And at night, when I’m usually free to do the things I might want to do, that’s when she’s fussiest.
But I also have a little boy who was an only child for six years. I also see enough of myself in him, I know he needs that extra one-on-one time. Words and quality time mean so much to him. So even on bad days, when I just wanna curl up in a ball and hide away under the covers, I snuggle close to my boy and read Harry Potter to him. And if he wants to play a video game or action figures & dinosaurs with someone, I’m there.
My stories will still be there, but my kids are only at this stage of their lives right now.
Life goes by so fast. So bloody fast. And at the end of the day, moments like now when I can finally breathe, I don’t have any regrets. It’s all these little moments that my kids may not remember, but the impression will still be there. Because the kind of parent I want to be is the kind who always has time for a story, cuddles, or just to talk and be silly.
Last night, the Geminid Meteor Shower was still in full swing. I happen to live somewhere where on a clear, moonless night, the stars are infinite. My dad taught me to love the stars from a young age, so I was that kid hanging out during a lunar eclipse on the hood of the car with a blanket and thermos. And last night, I invited my dad to go watch the skies. We stood huddled together in the cold and watched as tiny meteors streaked across the endless jeweled expanse. Until we each saw massive meteors streak across the night as if one of those stars suddenly decided to take flight. All the while, Dad and I talked about what could be out there. He shared what it was like, to watch the lunar landing with his parents, and we hoped he might be lucky enough to watch the Mars landing someday. We only lasted about thirty minutes before the cold drove us inside, but I want to hold onto that moment forever. And I’m so glad I made the time to share something beautiful with my seventy-five-year-old dad.
We are only guaranteed this moment.
I say all this as a reminder to myself as much as to segue into what I meant to announce a few paragraphs ago (sorry I’m so long-winded, folks!). So that on rough days like today, I can look back over the past two hectic weeks and be happy I made the tough instead of the easy choices. Because it’s so easy to be selfish. A little bit of selfishness can be healthy now and then. So long as we don’t lose sight of the moment we’re living in.
I hope you’re encouraged today (or tonight 🙂 to grab a hold of the moment you’re in. Make time for what’s important to you. Make moments with the people who matter in your life. Your passions will be waiting for you.
So what does this mean for my books?
To those who have grabbed Silver Hollow while it’s FREE…
Welcome! I hope you love it, and that you enjoy Blackbriar Cove just as much 😉
I have officially pushed back the release for Annwyn Park to June. But I have a feeling I’ll end up needing even more time. For now, I’m going to aim for the best and try to keep my self-imposed deadlines. A lot will depend on how the next few months go. I’m choosing to remain hopeful, but I’m also not going to beat myself up if more delays are needed. Either way, I’m going to bring you the best story I possibly can.
Meanwhile, I’m going to keep stealing my five-ten minutes each day and see what comes of it.
#beinspired
Goals for this week
-
Bake a chocolate cake for my boy’s birthday! (He wants a camo cake, so wish me luck on making that happen with icing and sprinkles…)
-
Write and read, but also remember to breathe.
-
Find peace in small moments.
JOIN MY NEWSLETTER
Jennifer Silverwood 
Leave a Reply