I love writing! It’s therapy for me to chew on words and rehash my life. Yet I let any excuse derail me and can go months without writing a creative word. Filling out forms does not count as writing. I let the kids be my excuse for decades, but they are grown and gone and the only little feet I have following me around the paws 🐾 of my 6 cats.

So I ask you to keep me accountable. As with any skill, the only way I can improve is to do it every day.

One of my dearest friends is named John Lamott who talks a lot about his little sister Annie, who has written more than twenty books. Reading her books or listening to her on Audible or podcasts gives me the big sister I always wanted. She’s not ashamed of her past and knows that it’s just part of her story. She is a fiercely devoted mom and Nana. She is okay with being imperfect. All of these are traits I would like to define myself.

I asked Annie’s big brother if she could autograph my favorite book of hers, Bird by Bird. Even better, John came over one day with a gift in hand, Bird by Bird with the following inscription:

So based on the advice of my mentor Annie, I am going to just do it! If I can do Wordle, Connections, my Daily Bible verse, and Duolingo every day, I can certainly write ✍️. It fills my soul, so I would be doing myself (and maybe others I hope) a disservice not to.

I want to invite anyone else who wants to join this pilgrimage into words to come alongside me. We can hold each other up when we become weak, rejoice when we experience breakthrough, know that we can share our work with each other without being ridiculed, and share our resources and support along the way. Who’s in it with me?