Thank you for your inspiration, comments, and support for the last thirty-one days. This is my eighth year of participating in the SOLSC, and the first time I never once lacked for a writing idea, even if it was just the form I would use for the day. (This may also be due to another circumstance, but that's the next thank-you note.) Poetry, memoir, six by six, photo walks...this community proves that true, meaningful writing is so much more than a five sentence paragraph, five paragraph essay, write-as-much-as-you-can-to-this-test-prompt-on-a-topic-you-can't-relate-to. You held me accountable just by being present each and every day this month, commenting on my posts and responding to my comments. You've made me a better, more thoughtful writer.
Beyond the writing, it was the delightful search for connections with you that brightened my days. Travels, classroom aha!s, laments, former pets, nature noticings...every day there seemed to be a shared experience. A word in your teasers or titles would spark a memory and send me over to your blog to see what we have in common.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!--Chris
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Dear COVID-19,
Thank you for being such a source of inspiration for my eighth year of participating in the SOLSC. On March first, I had no idea and no real plan for what to write about for thirty-one days. (I am, after all, a seat-of-the-pants Slicer.) But then you showed up, and bam! Slice after slice after slice was influenced by your arrival and continuing presence. The changes you caused grew exponentially as the days went by, first weekly, then daily, then almost hourly until they encroached on our living and working routines. You may be a physical manifestation, but you have wreaked emotional responses by causing the separation of families and shortages in food, toilet paper, and more importantly, medical supplies. You've also brought out the best in people, bringing tears to our eyes over displays of gratitude and acts of kindness. And when emotions run high or low, writers write.
So thank you, COVID-19, for your persistence in controlling our lives this month. You've given us plenty to write about.
--Chris
Can you hear my applause, Chris? Not only do I cheer for you having taken on the challenge and sailed across the finish line yet again, you recognized the GOOD that COVID-19 has wrought. We are changed. We are shaped and marked by the disease even if we don't (pray not) succumb to it. Let us hope we carry these contours of our better selves that COVID-19 has brought to the surface forward for the remainder of our days. This is the first time I was never at a loss for what to write about either ... I collect and save ideas as drafts on my blog and I had about thirty when I started (some were just pictures, like the newborn doxie). I thought, well, I can make most of these work, no stress ... and at the end of the month I still have thirty drafts! How grateful I am for your writing, Chris, and that we took this plunge at the last moment like hesitant kids deciding to hold hands while counting "One, two, three, JUMP!" You're always an encouragement and inspiration, here on your site but also in the amazingly thoughtful, carefully-crafted responses you give to me and to others. Beautifully done in every way, my friend. I look forward to seeing you on Tuesdays. :)
ReplyDeleteThe image of us jumping in together made me smile, Fran. Your comments always feed my soul as well! See you next Tuesday--guess what, this time *I* have a draft for a Slice, thanks to my husband! You might just turn me into a think-ahead writer...
DeleteCongratulations, first - congratulations on year 8! Your heart felt thank you's are felt! The letter to covid could not be more appropriate! Yay you for capturing it all! Stay well and see you on Tuesdays!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Dawn! This is the first time I've felt like I ran over the finish line, instead of limped....ha!
DeleteI am feeling thankful also for this community. This is my first SOL challenge and it has been life changing. Congratulations on 8 years.
ReplyDeleteOh, my, Jill, you picked a year to start, didn't you? It certainly let you see just how compassionate and caring this group can be. Welcome to our writing community, and congratulations on your first SOLSC!! Hope to see you on Tuesdays.
DeleteChris, I can certainly relate to the abundance of ideas to write about, between using other slicers' topics as mentor texts and our friend Covid-19, we have barreled through March. Congratulations on writing for eight years!
ReplyDeleteBarreling is a good word for it, Denise. Whatever will we write about when this mess is over? I certainly look forward to finding out. Congrats to you, too!
DeleteNice job of summarizing the crazy experience we've had this month, and congrats on Year 8! Thanks for sharing. :-) ~JudyK
ReplyDeleteThank you for the kind comment! It has been crazy, hasn't it? I kinda feel like this year was a gimme, with the constant material this virus has given us. Looking forward to a collectively healthier 2021 SOLSC!
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