This is one of those weeks that got away from me. You know the kind I mean. Just when you're ready to unwind and relax you remember you have a meeting—and it's one you want to attend. Just as you sit down to write a blog post the phone rings and someone you care about needs help with something. The dog figures out how to pull down the drapes . Or your kid says, “Mom, I think I might have a concussion.”
Everything turns out okay but....the week gets away from you.
One of the blessings of a week like this is the reminder to double check what someone tells you—rather than getting upset before you check if it's true or maybe can be changed. It was a reminder that much of what we worry about turns out okay. Why put energy into worrying before we have to? And it was a reminder that sometimes it's better to laugh than get angry at the surprises life hands us. (The drapes went right back up with no damage.)
If you're a writer, how do your characters handle situations like these? What do they do or say that's both unique and universal? (Example: It's universal to fall in love. It's unique if the way the person shows that he has is to give the other person a dragon figurine because he knows that to her it represents the strength she wishes she had and which he knows she does.) How do different characters handle things differently? Who worries? Who refuses to worry? Who goes still and who gets active? Who goes for walks and who insists on staying by the phone and talking to friends?
One of the blessings of being a writer is realizing there are all sorts of possible answers and that there is rarely only one that's right. It can make us more understanding of others and help us realize that we can choose which one serves us—and those we love—best.
Here's hoping you're all having great weeks and they're not getting away from you!
