Ruth Ayres invites us the celebrate each week. Click over to her site Discover. Play. Build. to read more celebrations.
My one little word for 2015 is Reach. I was determined to reach with my writing. Take it to the next level. Well, this week came rejection. I hear from other authors that this is expected, normal, and we must power through, but it sent me into a slump. Because of Ruth’s invitation to celebrate each Saturday, I am climbing back up the tree and reaching out again.
I celebrate dancing! Friday night I’m tired, but I said yes to his invitation to go Cajun dancing. We only danced three songs, but we left smiling.
I celebrate rainbows. This week I’ve seen rainbows on two consecutive mornings on the way to school. One morning I pulled over and took pictures, the rainbow in the west, the glowing sun in the east.
Morning rainbow
Sunrise
I celebrate authors I admire. I received a signed copy of Over in the Wetlands, a beautiful book by Caroline Starr Rose about the place I live. She captured the magic of the wetlands, along with the fearful hurricane and the peace and rebirth that follows. She sent bookmarks and stickers for my students. I celebrate making connections with authors.
Over in the Wetlands by Caroline Starr Rose
In the midst of a rough week of state pretesting, I celebrate Chalkabration. We went outside in the South Louisiana heat and chalked up the sidewalks with poetry inspired by Laura Purdie Salas’s book Catch Your Breath: Writing Poignant Poetry.
Chalking poetry
This invitation to Celebrate each week helps me to see that there is much to rejoice. Rejection is small. Reaching is big. What are you celebrating today?
I am so sorry about the rejection and I am so grateful you showed up today to celebrate! The world is filled with sad and pain and NOs and misery. I think if we keep showing up, LOVE WINS. (Those sentiments are borrowed from the lovely Glennon Doyle Melton.) Keep writing!!! You are a GIFT!!!! Hugs!!!!
The last sentence is so very meaningful. Congratulations on continuing to reach for all the goodness in life.
Your resilience shines through in this post, along with those beautiful skies! Keep on writing Margaret. That is where you belong. Funny “reach” and writing came up in my post today. I think one is necessary for the other to happen!
I always told my students if you don’t ask, you’ll never know if you will ‘get’, so sending something into the world is cause to celebrate, too, never mind the outcome. I love the sky/rainbow pics, always look up when I’m out, always love the scenes. Have a wonderful next week too, Margaret.
Hugs to you Margaret. You are an inspiration to us all. Love the chalk poems.
So much beauty here. The chalkabration is awesome! Thanks for sharing the rainbows – they always speak hope to me.
Love the pics, especially the student who is writing large enough so her poem can be read (I turned my computer screen upside down so I could read it!) . So sorry about the rejection. So glad you climbed back up the tree and reached out with these gorgeous pictures and celebrations. Let me know if you want to chat about a Mock Newbery book club.
Margaret, “NOs” are hurtful but positivity is important and you reached for that in the wake of rejection. May your year be filled with positive vibes and celebrations, my friend. Can’t wait to see you at NCTE15.
Yes, it’s only “one little rejection,” but for some of us it feels catastrophic. Way to get back up on your branch! I missed Poetry Friday but I’m happy to see that Celebrate is an all-weekend affair–I think I might have to make it a habit…
Getting out the chalk this Friday…..