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Tuesday, August 25, 2020

One Little Word: August 2020

Unbelievably, we've arrived at the last Tuesday of the month again, so it's time to join up with Honoré at Morning Glory Studio to reflect on my word for the year -- SAVOR -- and how it's been showing up in the past month. Last month was all about the reading. This month, it seems to be about writing. Specifically, it's about my daily journaling and about interacting with those of you I've come to think of as Blog Friends.

There was a time in my life (mainly when I was an angst-filled teenager and in my early 20s) when my journal was a regular part of my life. I didn't write every day, but it was a normal practice for me to set aside an hour or so every few days or a couple of times a week to pour out my thoughts and feelings to my journal. As part of joining in on the One Little Word group this year, I decided to start keeping a journal again, and in the smaller black notebook in the photo above, you'd find that on January 1 of this year, I started the practice with an optimistic entry about how I was going to do it. But in reality, that entry was the only entry for a couple of months -- and then the pandemic hit. I didn't realize it at the time, but I revived my journaling practice at a perfect time. Midway through March, when it became clear that staying at home was going to be a long-term thing, I wrote in my journal again, and by the end of the month, it had become a nearly daily practice. I've missed a few days here and there, but for the most part I am spending some time each evening before getting into bed looking back on the day and, at a minimum, making note of three things I accomplished and five things that brought me some joy. I haven't given myself any restrictions or expectations with regard to what I write about; the important thing has just been to write, and I have been so thankful for the time I've given myself to do just that. Earlier this month, I filled the first notebook and moved onto the larger Moleskine notebook (which I shamelessly stole from the Mister -- he's got a stack of notebooks he's acquired from various conferences and events over the years and hasn't even noticed that I took this one even though I write in it every night right in front of him). The larger pages in this notebook are lined, unlike my previous one, so I think that's prompted me to write more, which in turn has been better for my state of mind because I'm working out my frustrations and anxieties on the page.

The other thing I've been really savoring this month has been my connection with the wonderful community of crafters and bloggers I've come to know the past several years and especially this year. As someone who has long struggled to make new friends as an adult, it means so much to be able to connect with others who share some of my interests and pastimes -- and thanks to the wonders of technology, we're able to discuss and share them in real time! The weekly Zoom meet-up that Mary has been hosting has been one of the anchors of my week and has truly been a blessing during these strange times. Were it not for this pandemic and being forced to conduct so much of our lives online, I doubt I would have ever "met" or interacted with some of the individuals I now think of as friends. And I've likewise been really savoring the interactions I've been able to have through reading and commenting on blogs. Many of you chimed in a couple of weeks ago when I asked about how you reply to comments, and so going forward I'm taking a hybrid approach. I get all blog comments sent to me by email, so for those of you whose email address I have, I'll reply that way, and for those whose email addresses I don't have, I'll reply to your original comment on the blog itself. The dialogue around the blog has been so good and such a great way to stay connected with others outside of my immediate sphere, so I want to encourage it in any way I can.

That's all from me to day -- I have some staycationing to do! -- but I'll be back tomorrow with a reading and knitting update. I hope you're doing well, and I look forward to hearing about how your One Little Word has been appearing in your life this past month.

12 comments:

  1. Moleskines were my first love! It is so good that you are savoring the journaling time. I am still figuring out when to journal so that it becomes a regular part of my day but I’ll get there. I am so happy to have connected with you too.

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  2. All of this makes me smile! What a wonder the blogisphere is, isn't it? I too, love writing down a few thoughts each day, sometimes they are profound, but mostly they are humorous as I look back and read them. I love seeing "where I was" then and where I am now.

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  3. I so love that you stole your husband's journal :) And just reading about your journaling brought my heart rate down as I sit here! While I now start my day with my 100 days of journaling, I used to end it with just a simple list of 3 things I was grateful for and 3 things I did for someone else that day. I kept that for a couple of years, and every once in a while I look back through it, and it sorta lights me up. Happy Staycationing to you!

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    1. The fact that he didn't notice just goes to show how little he cares -- he's got a huge stack of them! Of course, I made sure to nab the highest quality one.

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  4. I love your journaling practice, especially in your "stolen" notebook. John's grandmother kept a journal every day for over 40 years and I've enjoyed reading it. It's mostly about weather, crops harvested, cows and animals tended, neighbors who visited after church, but occasionally you'll come across a completely mundane sentence about an extraordinary event, like "I delivered Sylvia (John's mother) today."

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  5. Journaling is SO GOOD!!! I started it earlier this year, too, after a longer hiatus, but I have been writing morning pages for 20 minutes every day again, and it helps so much to clear my head (and work on my handwriting ;) ). Hooray for the new journal! :) (and I am really glad I found your blog. Seriously.)

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    1. Isn't it amazing what a few minutes writing can do for your state of mind? I'm so glad I'm making time for it now.

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  6. Who says blogging is dead?! Blog friends are the best - it took me a LONG time to connect with other bloggers, but now I feel like I have. Thank you so much for your kind comments and connection.

    I'm so glad that you've returned to daily journaling. I think you know how much I love it and I love reading about how it helps others. And it's such a great connection to your word of the year - what a way to savor all of your gratitudes!

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    1. I do have to wonder if there's a connection between being trapped at home and the revival of blogging, but whatever the cause, I am happy about it!

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  7. I love hearing about practices that bring joy and can be . . . savored . . . during these pandemic days. Like you, I don't know how I'd get through my days without my journaling time. "Writing it out" just helps so much!

    Enjoy your staycation, Sarah! XO

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  8. This COVID catastrophe has had a couple good outcomes for me, too...like you, I began journaling again (heehee...I just made it a couple entries)...but decided to do my journaling by ressurecting a blog..new platform, new learning curve....you know the drill. Work in progress... The connection to new people has been a lifeline during these crazy times, while I still try searching out old blog friends I've lost in my move. So glad I tumbled into this space....hope to return again!!!

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  9. :-) the friends I have made through my blog have been an anchor for so much of my life ... I'm so glad we met!

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