Resilience Dispatch – August 21st – Day 80
Do you ever take naps? Sometimes in the afternoons after a full morning of writing, creative exhaustion sets in. If I don’t have anything else going on, I will lay on my bed for a quick snooze. This feels like such a luxury.
As a girl growing up in Knoxville, Tennessee in the 60s, I would sometimes take naps in the summertime. My parents had an oscillating fan sitting on their bedroom dresser, that would keep me cool as I napped on their bed.
Something about the sound of that fan droning on as it swiveled and tossed the cool, warm air in my direction (we didn’t have air conditioning in those days) was the perfect recipe for an afternoon nap. Even now, I will turn on the overhead fan in my bedroom to try to recreate the effect.
In my novel Trueluck Summer, set in Charleston in 1964, I put an oscillating fan in the Trueluck kitchen. Though my novels aren’t my personal story (that would be way too boring!), they are full of little memories like oscillating fans moving the air around in the summer South.
With the pandemic still a constant concern, now seems a perfect time to allow ourselves a cat-nap every now and again. Our pets are great at demonstrating how to relax. Study their ease, and then maybe this weekend practice imitating them. Take a quick, stress-reducing nap and let me know how it goes.
In the meantime, feel free to share your thoughts on naps.
With love and zzz’s,
Susan
Resilience Dispatch – August 17th – Day 79
Can you imagine going through a pandemic without reading books? It’s hard for me to even go there.
Reading is a huge part of my everyday life. As I write my novels, I am also reading them. The editing process is reading the story over and over again and making the changes that will make it the best story I possibly can.
When I am not writing, I also read other books–fiction and nonfiction–and articles. I always read before bed, as well. And I read for all of the reasons shown in this cartoon. Not so much the last panel until more recently.
Books are constant companions. As constant as my four-legged family. They are something I count on every day. Touchstones that remind me who I am, and what I am exploring. Every book I read is like a diary entry. They document my journey as an inquisitive, creative person.
What about you? Why do you read? What is your favorite type of book? Feel free to share your thoughts on reading.
Stay safe. Be kind.
Love,
Susan
Read the previous dispatch here.
Resilience Dispatch – August 14th – Day 78
As our world becomes more chaotic, there has never been a better time to seek clarity.
Clarity about what our values are.
Clarity about who and what gives us energy, and who and what costs us energy. Then deciding how to let go of as much of the stuff that costs us as we can, because we need our energy for better things.
Clarity about what is important to us. Not the things that we think SHOULD be important to us, or OUGHT to be important to us, but the things that truly are.
Now is the time to decide how you want to spend the rest of your life. What do you want to pursue? Kindness? Good health? Compassion? Love for your neighbors? Art and beauty? Deeper spirituality? Social justice? All of the above? Something else?
Now is the time to seek clarity on what gives your life meaning, and then to let go as much as you can of the stuff that DOESN’T give your life meaning.
Now is the time for self-reflection, for sitting with your thoughts, for asking yourself the questions that have been standing in line in the back of your mind for years, waiting for you to notice them.
Now is the time to get to know yourself better. NOT the evidence you’ve collected over the years to prove how unworthy you are and how you don’t measure up. We all collect that stuff, and it is useless in crucial times like these.
Instead, this is the time to discover the wonderful and good and creative and precious parts of yourself. The parts that you haven’t made time for. The parts that would enrich your life if you were to let them in.
In our history, there has never been a better time to seek clarity. Decide where you go from here.
Stay safe. Stay steady. Be kind.
Love,
Susan
P. S. In case you aren’t aware, Meredith Grey is the fictional main character from the TV series Grey’s Anatomy. A reminder of the power of story and fiction!
Read the previous dispatch here.
Resilience Dispatch – August 10th – Day 77
Will you help me celebrate?
Life can be monotonous and challenging these days, so it’s important to celebrate every chance we get. Celebrations can be about all manner of things: watching a sunrise, a glorious sunset, seeing a friend or family member that you haven’t seen for a while. Birthdays. Anniversaries. Getting through a rough day, and so on. Celebrations remind us that we are alive and (hopefully) thriving.
With that in mind, I am delighted to announce that the audiobook version of my novel, Gullah Secrets, won the top prize in the general fiction category of the 2020 Independent Audiobook Awards on June 12. (You may have already heard about this if you subscribe to my newsletter.)
Gullah Secrets is performed by the amazing Holly Adams, who has recorded several of my books. (She is great with southern voices!) Due to COVID, the ceremony was held virtually, so this little trophy arrived in the mail recently.
Gullah Secrets is the sequel to Temple Secrets, and as many of you already know, I am currently writing a third and final book to this story. It is still in the beginning stages, but stay tuned.
Thanks so much for reading my books and for celebrating this honor with me. Be kind. Be well. Celebrate!
Love,
Susan
P. S. You can even listen to the Gullah Secrets audiobook at no charge with a 30 day free trial on Audible (you can cancel before the end of your 30 days if you want): Gullah Secrets on Audible
P. S. Thanks to my friend John Popiel for this wonderful photograph of the award.
Resilience Dispatch – August 7th -Day 76
Life bursts through the cracks even in the most difficult of environments. Because we are living beings with an imperative to survive and express ourselves, we are much more resilient than we realize. But that doesn’t mean challenging times are easy, by any means, and it is important to acknowledge the difficulties.
For those of you who feel like sharing, how are you holding up? Are you weary? Struggling? At ease? Grateful? Everything in between? Considering the current crises going on, it is perfectly normal to have a variety of feelings on any given day.
For those of you who have a more private nature, perhaps ask yourself this question. And then really, really listen to your answer. Respond accordingly. Be gentle with yourself. Throw yourself a kiss in the bathroom mirror. Give yourself a few kind words and a hug. Or all of the above. Respond in loving ways even if it feels silly. Sometimes being silly lessens the struggle…
In the meantime, may we all be flowers bursting through the sidewalk. Resilient. Beautiful. Hardy. Uncrushable.
Love,
Susan
(Thank you to my friend, Susan P., for taking and sharing this photograph with me. 💙)
Read the previous dispatch here.
Resilience Dispatch – August 3rd – Day 75
I’ve been sick the last few days (not COVID), and don’t feel well enough to put together a dispatch today. I’m thinking of you, and I will be back soon.
Stay safe. Be kind.
Love,
Susan
Artist: Jackie Morris
Resilience Dispatch – July 31st – Day 74
Did you keep a diary when you were growing up? Or do you keep one now? Or perhaps you prefer a journal. They are considered synonyms, but there are also clear differences.
A diary is considered a daily summary of the happenings in your life. Some people make multiple entries in a day. Others choose to write one diary entry at the end of the day summarizing all of the day’s events.
Journals, on the other hand, may be on a more profound emotional level. Many people use their journals as a tool to look into their lives, to assess where they are, or to see how they can improve their life, sometimes on a daily basis. It’s like having a therapist in a notebook that you can carry around with you. Journals are frequently used for self-expression and self-improvement, while diaries are not usually used this way.
Many people are keeping quarantine journals these days. I have one, and write in it periodically, but I haven’t been keeping it up with any regularity. I already write a lot on any given day!
I invite you to tell us about your diary/journal experience, whether in the past or currently.
Stay safe. Be kind.
Love,
Susan
P.S. For those of you who are interested in my progress on Violet’s Tea Shop (the 3rd and final book of the Temple trilogy), I am on page 204 of a very rough draft. My novels are usually around 300 pages, and I usually have about 5 drafts before it is sufficiently polished. So, I am making some very good progress. Earliest it will be ready is 2021, but that’s just around the corner. Thank you for your patience!
Read the previous dispatch here.
Resilience Dispatch – July 27th – Day 73
Today I’m posting a 38 second video of a doe and a fawn that have been hanging around my yard here in the mountains of North Carolina. One of the good things that has come out of this pandemic and sheltering in place is that I have been more aware of nature’s awesome beauty around me. I love where I live, and I feel grateful every day.
It is easy to think that what happens to us as humans is the most important thing. But in the natural world, things continue on as they always have. Or appear to, anyway. I find this reassuring.
What about you? What have you seen lately that reminds you of nature’s awesomeness? (If you are seeing this on my Facebook author page, feel free to post a photo of something in your yard or a place you’ve been.)
Have a good week! Stay safe. Be kind.
Love,
Susan
Read the previous dispatch here.
Resilience Dispatch – July 24th – Day 72
Fireflies or lightning bugs? When I was growing up in Tennessee, we always called them lightning bugs, and I still call them that. Here in the mountains of North Carolina where I now live, they appear every evening as the sun is setting. I love watching them light up the forest.
In the United States, glowing insects are known as “fireflies” or “lightning bugs” depending on where you live.
“Firefly” is the more common term in the West and New England, while people in the South and most of the Midwest tend to say “lightning bug.”
In Japan, fireflies are revered and considered the dead souls of warriors.
Even though fireflies put on a pretty great light show, it’s not just for entertainment. The flashing of their light is how they communicate with each other – especially for courtship rituals. Males flash to let the ladies know they’re looking for love… and the females respond with flashes to say they’re interested.
An Apache legend tells of a trickster Fox who tries to steal fire from the firefly village. To accomplish this, he fools them and manages to set his own tail on fire with a piece of burning bark. As he escapes the firefly village, he gives the bark to Hawk, who flies off, scattering embers around the world, which is how fire came to the Apache people. As punishment for his deception, the fireflies told Fox that he would never be able to use fire himself.
Depending on what part of the country you’re in, you may have grown up calling it a candlefly, firebob, firebug, glowworm, jack-o-lantern, lamp bug, or will-o’-the-wisp.
Did you have lightning bugs or fireflies when you were a kid? Do you have them now?
Have a good weekend! Stay safe. Be kind.
Love,
Susan
Read the previous dispatch here.
Resilience Dispatch – July 20th – Day 71
Be creative. Once a day. Always. There has never been a better time than now.
Find a way to express the potential inside you. Journal. Draw. Sing. Dance. Photograph. Doodle. Paint. When you do these creative acts, the little girl or little boy inside will perk up and take notice. She will be more content as a result. Less agitated. Less lost. More playful. More joyful. At peace.
Remember her. Remember the things she enjoys. Remember what it was like to build forts, sing songs, pull wagons.
Now is the time to let her play in the privacy and safety of your home.
Now is the time to let her bake cookies and spend time with you.
Now is the time to reassure her that everything is okay.
Now is the time to promise to keep her safe.
Now is the time to tell her that these scary times won’t last forever,
that you haven’t forgotten her,
that you love her very much.
Now is the time to be creative.
Creativity isn’t about perfectionism. Perfection is a bunch of baloney. Kids know this. Who cares if you think you can’t draw. Who cares if you think you have nothing to write. Who cares if you think paints are messy. Do it anyway. Make up a song. Write a really bad poem. Read a story aloud to yourself. Laugh at your goofiness.
Be creative. Once a day. Always. There has never been a better time than now.
Love,
Susan
