Paying Attention

I'm on day 5 of my daily blogging experiment, and I have been thoroughly enjoying the process. Knowing I'm going to write about something each morning has caused me to sit up and pay attention to my life in a way I didn't before. I'm more aware of my feelings in any given moment; someone will say something and I'll perk up my ears like a dog to listen, not only to the words but to the subtext.

Last night I heard my 6 year old in her bedroom, looking through books and talking to her students as she does every night (she sits on the edge of her bed with a book open, reading to a nonexistant crowd on the floor), but I stopped outside of her door to listen for a moment. She chattered on about the various pictures, describing the grass and the house and the animals. At one point, I heard her say, "These boys are twins. They are Todd and Mike and they like ice cream." I was struck by a memory of myself as a kid, looking through my mom's Good Housekeeping magazine and assigning names, personalities and friends to all of the pictures of the kids I found. The power of imagination never fails to stir and impress me, and it's fun to see your kids developing their own vivid creative abilities.

I heard great news from the library yesterday: the creative writing class I'm teaching in February is now full. FULL. 10 people want to come and challenge themselves to write on a more regular basis. There is even one person on the waiting list! The process of planning for this class has provided so much satisfaction for me. It's like reaching out my fingers and grazing the edges of my dreams. It seems real, true, possible. I feel like everything I've ever done in life up to this point has been leading me here: to write, teach, speak and inch toward writing as an occupation, not a hobby.

My husband is back in town, it's Thursday and there is new TV on tonight (yes, I'm that nerdy, my favourite thing is being in my jammies at 7 pm on Thursdays when the kids are in bed, sitting on the couch with popcorn, licorice and Henry Weinhardt bottled rootbeer from the US, watching Community, The Office, 30 Rock, Grey's & Survivor) and life feels pretty damn good. Having some of you follow this blog, just knowing you are reading, commenting and sharing in my writing experience means so very much to me. Thank you doesn't begin to cover it, but there are only so many ways to express what is in your heart, and today, for me, it's gratitude.