Written to Myself, by Lorrie Orr

 

This month's prompt is to write a letter to yourself. It can be difficult to know where to start. Here are a few suggestions whether you write to your younger or older self, or to yourself in the present.

1. Reflect on where you are in life and how you got there.

2. Express gratitude. Acknowledge both joys and sorrows.

3. Consider lessons learned and how they move you forward.

4. What are your dreams? How can they come to fruition?

5. Be gentle with yourself.

 

Hello there,

This morning, clouds are banked along the horizon, moving in fast from the west. There’s a bit of blue sky visible, but rain is in the forecast. Tonight, the full moon will shine over you, and stars will glimmer whether you can see them or not. How many more beautiful moons will sail over you? Only God knows, for your times are in his hand.

You’ve had an amazing life, and there’s more amazing ahead! You might be in the autumn of life number-wise, but spring’s tendrils of personal growth are not dependent on the physical world. They can grow anytime and anywhere they are given a little light and openness. Nurture them. Bask in the beauty of life.

Throughout life, you’ve waited for other people to validate you and that has held you back. With God’s guidance you can make decisions about your future and move ahead, trusting God to walk with you. Lean into the gentle rhythms of grace he offers.

You’re never too old to begin something new, and although it’s a steep curve, entering the book publishing world is something exciting. You’ve written all your life; letters, poems, stories, blog posts, and now it’s time to get that body of work out where people can read it and be encouraged by how God has worked in your life.

The future is unknown. There will be hard times ahead just as there were hard times in the past. God’s grace will hold and strengthen you no matter what. Be confident and step forward with a smile on your face.

And always remember, you are dearly loved.

Lorrie Orr writes to herself from her kitchen table by a window

overlooking her garden in Victoria, BC.

 

Beginning with ABC - A Writing Path Defined by Joylene M Bailey

 

Oh hello! Hi.

I understand you've come to find out about some of the key moments that were crucial in defining and growing Joy Bailey into the writer she is today. As someone who knows her as well as she knows herself, I think I can help you.  She would say that some key moments were small while others were astronomical in boosting her confidence.

Do you see this book? It's her first defining 'moment.' And it's a big one. I can't even exaggerate how much she LOVED this book. It was her introduction to those enchanting letters that all stood for something. And those letters spelled WORDS! How she loved words.

As you can see, if you turn the page, she practiced and practiced making the letters and then making the words. Words were Alluring. Beguiling. Captivating. And manipulating a pencil to make those words was Delightful. Enthralling. Fascinating.

Once she discovered that words could be strung together to make a story, well, her appetite for reading them soared. Her three younger brothers became her audience as she read book after book to them. I'd have to say, those early years of reading aloud were another defining 'moment' for her. They were the beginnings of learning what she liked to read, which translated into eventually writing the kinds of things she liked to read.

In her school years, she excelled in Language Arts and English classes, but was always suspicious of teachers who praised her or her work. What ulterior motive could they possibly have for doing such a thing? As a result of that sentiment, she wouldn't now be able to identify any teachers who may have encouraged her writing because she never took them seriously.

She also became an earnest letter-writer in her school years, which carried on into adulthood. I would call this a major defining factor in her growth as a writer. Her signature conversational style was developed and sharpened during those years of penning letters.

As a young mom, she enjoyed making up stories and songs for her three growing daughters. One such song gushed out spontaneously one night as she put her three-year-old to bed. Through the years it became a favourite of preschool children in Sunday Schools across the prairies. She considered it high praise when a child would ask to sing Baby Moses.

Wanting to hone her craft of writing, and to find out if she actually could write, she took a course in Writing for Children and Teenagers from the Institute of Children's Literature. After the initial shock of getting IN, she hunkered down to learn all she could from the instructor assigned to her. But she was frustrated with all the praise. The instructor only seemed to have good things to say about her writing. Was she even qualified to be an instructor? Surely a real instructor would be critical all over the place.

Joy finally trusted that this teacher knew what she was talking about when a children's magazine published her first article. The moment she read her name in Nature Friend is forever etched in her mind. So big was this moment that she barely held it together until her husband got home from work, when she  waved the open magazine in his face and squealed, "This is me!!"

Since then, she's written for children and adults, winning awards for her short stories, poetry, and children's stories along the way. A few years ago she began blogging at Scraps of Joy, where her conversational style has bloomed and thrived. As well, she has just begun to write a regular column for an online newsletter, encouraging parents of young women who struggle with life-controlling issues.

As far as defining moments go, Joy would say that her most monumental ones these days are comments she receives from her readers. One recent reader compared her writing to something they would find in Bella Grace magazine. Considering that Bella Grace is one of her favourite publications, this comment will stick with her, proving that she IS writing exactly what she loves to read.

I hope that gives you some idea of Joy's writing path. From ABC to Scraps of Joy and all the writing in between, building beautiful and joyful works is her goal, one wonderful word at a time.

~~~~~

As she wrote this post, Joy was rather shocked to discover all of the things she's had published over the years, and some have even won awards. Who would have thought?! Joy is now living with The Cowboy in their new home in the country and loving the early mornings in her North-East facing library where she spends time with the words she loves. Find more of her joy-infused writing at Scraps of Joy.

Feature photo and last photo by Pezibear of Pixabay.

Book photos by Joy Bailey