Hey, we’ve made it! 31 days straight of funny, sad, inspirational, and sometimes “meh” writing, we’ve come to the finish line.
I looked back at my last year’s blog on March 31, and got zero inspiration from it because instead of writing a reflection, I wrote about #moedchat! Ugh! I love that chat, but come on, twice in a year?? 🙂
So, as I looked back on being able to write for 31 days, here are my thoughts:
- Middle schoolers are funny creatures! I could have probably written each day about one of them, and had extra days of writing to post. They are witty, ornery, caring, apathetic, with so many other traits, but most of all, they are so unsure of themselves going forward into high school. And if any of them are reading this: That’s ok!
- Writing at night is hard. Between needing to do things around the house, grades, and everything else that happens at night, I know my writing was not as good then as I could have been. That’s ok too. It takes something like this to make you recognized where your strength and weakness are.
- There are so many inspirations around us, we just need to pay attention. Phone, laptops, iDevices, they all take us away from the moment at hand. Last night, I came home to one of the eggs in our incubator with a little hole in it. This morning, there are now two, so we’ve managed to help life grow! My daughter couldn’t take time out of here “busy” day to come down and see this. Part of it was she had homework, part of it was she had her phone, and I hope she realizes just how much life she missed because of that device. I know she won’t know, but maybe someday, when she’s 42! 🙂
- Good writing is hard! I read all of these blogs from teachers and parents and professionals, and then I look at mine, thinking, “this is crap!” Good writing takes time, energy, and consistent practice. We talk about how you have to be practicing your reading every single day, writing is the same way. You can’t just wake up and think, “Oh, today I’ll be a great writer!” It doesn’t work that way. Can I continue with writing every day? Probably not. But I’ll keep with the Tuesday/Friday format. Who knows, maybe I can add another day in there, but it would require me add time to be able to write (and ideas!).
- And finally, it’s been an absolute joy to read your blogs. I’ve followed a bunch of new people, both here on WordPress and my Feedly (and if you have a better news feed, let me know!). Your writing made me laugh, it brought tears to my eyes, and best of all it made me think. If I wrote something, that’s the ultimate compliment that I can get, for someone to tell me that their blog made them think about a topic. Thank you for those who came around and commented on my blog, who took the time to read my drivel and find the meaning in their own lives. I’m as bad as the kids, “Oh, I got another comment!!” I hope my comments were meaningful for your blogs too! I look forward to seeing your writing as we wind around the coming year and back here in #SOL18!
So, thank you to all who’ve participated in this challenge and who made it the 31 days! You are awesome and I hope you celebrate this accomplishment! 🙂
#weareabigdeal
March 31, 2017 at 9:56 am
Great topic, to reflect on the past month. Haven’t decided yet what I will write about tonight.
March 31, 2017 at 10:10 am
It gave me a lot to write about! I can’t wait to see what you have to say! 🙂
March 31, 2017 at 11:24 am
I used my middle school students for several posts. You can’t make this stuff up! They don’t even know how funny/poignant/heartbreaking/wonderful they are.
March 31, 2017 at 11:28 am
I know, right? The drama, the humor, the raw emotions? It’s just too much days, but I come back, ready for another barrage! 🙂
March 31, 2017 at 11:45 am
Darin, I’ve enjoyed every moment of your journey this month. I look for your post because I know I’ll get the real story…no BS! I would have come to see the eggs with you :-). See you on Tuesdays!
March 31, 2017 at 11:50 am
🙂 Ok, that just made my day! Thank you! 🙂
March 31, 2017 at 12:52 pm
Love your reflection!
March 31, 2017 at 4:35 pm
I enjoyed reading your slices again this year! I feel the same way when I read other slices, like mine are not nearly good enough. But, it’s a process, and by reading all of these awesome blogs, we can all improve! Yay!
March 31, 2017 at 8:19 pm
It really is such a big deal, and yes, I frequently read other people’s posts and think how “meh” my own writing is. But then, I think about how we all have our voices and our purposes in this great writing community. You have a funny and engaging voice as you write! Hope to see you on Tuesdays!
March 31, 2017 at 8:59 pm
I’ve enjoyed reading your posts and enjoyed your reflective thoughts today. See you on Tuesdays. 🙂
March 31, 2017 at 9:35 pm
Excellent reflection. I’ve enjoyed reading your thoughts and you’ve given me a lot to think about. See you on Tuesdays!