Monday, January 22, 2007

Writing Feels Good

I’ve always enjoyed Anna Quindlen’s writing because it has great heart and wisdom. Her recent article in Newsweek, “Write for Your Life,” struck a particular chord.

I have only recently started blogging, thinking that I didn’t have the time, or I didn’t have anything I wanted to say quite so publicly. My very private journaling had up until this point been perfectly satisfactory. But there is something that feels good about choosing a topic to share with others, and working to fine tune it so that it is reasonably well written, and even taking a picture perhaps to illustrate it. Anna Quindlen writes:
Wouldn't all of us love to have a journal, a memoir, a letter, from those we have loved and lost? Shouldn't all of us leave a bit of that behind?
The knowledge that you have left some small part of you behind, like a trail of pebbles marking your path, is appealing. Who hasn’t wished for just a few more pebbles from people we’ve loved who are gone forever?

2 comments:

pedalinfaith said...

When my friend Joe died, his ex-husband gave me their love letters. I feel honored to be the guardian for something so precious and honest and to have been given a peek into the depths of my friends' humanity. These letters are one of my most prized possessions.

A decade later, when I began blogging, I realized that I was writing to whoever will become my heir. I don't have children, nor will I. But, as you said, one day I will leave behind those that wished they knew me better or would like to have something personal of me to go back from time to time.

Sometimes I think of my blog as my love letter to life. And, as trite and messy as it sometimes is, there's nothing more that I would like to leave as my footprint. I imagine my last will and testament to read:
* Please take care of my pets.
* Here is the password to my journal. Read it with tenderness.
* Do what you like with everything else.

Lynn said...

That's beautiful. Thanks for sharing this. - Lynn