After Page One: Daydreaming

A guest post to motivate, encourage, and inspire…

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Return to Summer

With summer comes new schedules, routines and adjustments. Last September, I sent my two sons off to school full time and I returned to my first love of writing. I carved out space in my schedule and my home to write. While it took time to find my path and my voice, as I developed ideas, I eventually surrendered. I found a rhythm with daydreaming, storytelling, submissions and edits. But now, just as I began to find confidence and the little voice inside me said “Yes, I think I can pull this off,” summer says hello.

Two silly little boys return the house for summer break. My rhythm is replaced with one that involves keeping them entertained. Fear and anxiety crouch at my door as I wonder whether I’ll lose momentum. Will I be able to achieve the goals I set for myself this year with limited writing time?

And yet… I find myself taking walks with them. They notice small things, like footprints in the cement, left by homeowners long ago, on a route I myself have walked nearly every day, yet never noticed. They want to bring a trash bag so we can pick up garbage on the way, a kindness I am usually too busy to afford. I make paper plate masks and have just as much fun as they, getting the details just right. I find new outlets for my creativity.

As my inner cadence slows down, I find myself more present. I notice more.

It’s then I recognize they are teaching me to daydream. Not in the way I used to, adult daydreaming is tame compared to its childhood companion. Daydreaming though the eyes of a child has no limits. There are details us old folks have long been blind to.

I listen. I notice they are natural storytellers who wonder about motives with more depth than I expected but who are willing to embrace mystery more easily.

I am learning to surrender again. I am taking notes. I know that these experiences are teaching me much more than I learn during the school year. And when my schedule opens up again, I know I’ll have so much more to write about. ​

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Join our After Page One series. We’re looking for 300 to 500-word guest posts that motivate, inspire, and encourage other mama-writers, and we’d love to feature YOUR thoughts about getting started, getting back to a writing project, integrating writing with motherhood, reading, or having a positive attitude. The list is endless, but here are some questions that might help you get started. We’ll publish a short bio so readers can learn more about you and your projects.