The Other Side

February 28th….

Standing on the edge

31 blank pages on the horizon

How will I get to the other side?

What will fill all of that space?

Excitement

Nerves

Doubt

All creeping in.

March 30th…

How did I get here?

Looking back at all of those words and pages

Wonder

Shock

Gratitude

Three years in the books and once again I’m full. Before I started this challenge, I vowed that THIS would be the gift I gave to myself each day, and what a gift it has been.

Taking part in this challenge this year, the ideas came easy. I know how to find them, I know where they hide. I’ve learned I can turn one beauty of a heard line or phrase into something. 30 seconds of joy can become a Slice.

The take away for me this year has been the insight, from others, on the community of writers we are growing virtually and in real life. I’d often arrive to school each day, having spent a few minutes reading and commenting before getting ready for the day. I’d arrive only to continue the conversations and commenting in real life, with my friends at work. People who now read my blog would comment. Fellow Slicers would share about their night of writing or about another post they loved.

As I wrote about moments at school, I was often struck by what people noticed that I had missed. The culture of literacy and learning that we have. I sometimes get so caught up in what it can be, I forget to see what it already is.

So, once again, it is community that blows me away and leaves me full of gratitude.

Thank you to all of the authors of The Two Writing Teachers. You’ve created the space for this beautiful community to thrive. See you on Tuesdays! ❤️

 

Published by Jessica Carey

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I'm a mom of three daughters and a literacy coach in CT. I love to learn and share with others.

29 thoughts on “The Other Side”

  4. Love the way you compare this challenge to something with “another side” to reach. And the way you describe your ability to now know “where the stories hide” is lovely. Thanks for all you contribute to this community!

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  6. What I love best is how this community brought me-you. Your joy spills from the page and I look forward to every slice. You’re right, it wasn’t hard to find stories this year and so many others were so inspiring. Looking forward to lots more writing in our future.

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  7. Yes, let’s celebrate. I like how you refer to daily writing as a gift to yourself. It’s a double gift. the reader receive and appreciate your words as a gift.

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  8. Your words – 30 seconds of joy can become a slice – Are so true. This came alive for me too this year as my writing efforts focused on keeping to the slice this year. Those 30 seconds of joy were easy to find as we lived with our eyes wide open.

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  9. We will now continually remind each other what “it already is”. The community here at TWT has been giving in their words to help you (and me) see that! I love the way you pulled the whole month together with the theme of community! YAY you! Thanks, as always, for sharing!

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  11. I really like the poem. I definitely felt that way at the start of the month, like I was looking across a canyon and not feeling as energized or full of stories as I had felt last year. This year I tried to follow your lead and look for more of the moments in each day, and it worked…though sometimes those moments reminded me of old moments…which is also good. Thanks for all of the comments and for getting me into this challenge.

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  12. “it is community that blows me away and leaves me full of gratitude” yes! You capture so much in this ending piece – and I am struck by your comment that now you know where slices hide. I’m already thinking that maybe next year I’ll try to really focus on finding those 30 seconds of joy. Thanks for being part of my writing journey. Thanks for sharing yours!

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  13. So glad to have shared this month with you, your girls and all the slicers gathered here. The community offers so much because its members are dedicated to giving and sharing more than taking. Thanks for being a shining example of that group generosity.

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  15. Loved your posts every day! Loved the peeks at your life both as a mom and as a teacher. You are a beautiful writer because you do notice and celebrate the details of what IS, and not obsess with what WILL BE. So glad to share the experience with you.

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  16. I’ve loved reading all of your posts this month! It’s hard to believe it passed so quickly, isn’t it? Congrats on another year in the books! Hope to join you on Tuesdays!

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  17. It really does get better, easier, the farther along we go. I particularly like your reaction of “shock” – that’s an unexpected but true one. That we can have the stamina, the ideas, to keep going; the discoveries we make in persevering with writing. So many truths here. Here’s to joy in the ongoing journey beyond this challenge. 🙂

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  18. Pingback: The View From Here 2020 – Where There's Joy

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