The Magic of Life –
This morning I sat in my office – my happy place. A shimmer outside my window caught my attention. I stopped to witness the iridescent beauty of the sun sparkling off the delicate fretwork of a spider’s industry. I snapped a picture, ran some edits and when I looked up, the little magic had disappeared.
Just as the unseen spider had toiled away to create beauty, I reflected on what I had accomplished, the warp and weft of my writing life, in the final months of 2020.
September – I worked with Wulf Moon, editor, honing a SciFi novelette, submitted, and gained an Honorable Mention with Writers of the Future, an international competition.
October – We were once again in the midst of the midst as workmen surrounded and climbed all over our home repairing damage from five back-to-back storms earlier this year. In the meantime, and in the spirit of camaraderie, I asked a friend to help and we designed, built, stained, finished, and installed a Butler’s Pantry in our catch-all back porch. Previously a pantry, torn out, and left to its own devices, It was the last major renovation of 2020. I was even lucky to find some 1800s glass at Vintage Hardware and was able to horse-trade it for a stained-glass church window, which was only gathering spiders and dust in our basement.
November is National Novel Writing Month. The goal is to write 50,000 words in thirty days. The idea is to write a novel. My goal was to understand the characters in my new book, The Grimoire’s Lament. It is based on the Wife’s Lament in the Book of Exeter, continues the story of young Ph.D. student, Barbara “Selah” Shaunaky from “Stand In Stone”, and, of course, it contains its indispensable witch/wisewoman puzzle. NaNoWriMo helped me flesh out my villain, Lord Stanley, the guy you love to hate, add several new characters, the Book of Shadows and its attendant evils, and enough plot twists to keep me up at night. But more on that as it progresses.
The warp and weft of my writing accomplished; I began to fill the spaces within. Reading is always a renewal of spirit for me. I wonder what spiders read or if they decorate for Christmas. As I pulled memories from last year’s Christmas boxes and spread cheer around our home, I took time to design my traditional ornaments for loved ones, using square nails gathered in the process of years of remodeling. I made 40 unique Christmas trees, complete with decorative hangers, bows, and tiny ornaments.
And thus 2020 was complete as I worked toward goals each day. I realize that life will not magically change when the ball drops in New York this Thursday but perhaps 2021 will soften hearts, bring positive solutions, and perhaps retain a little kindness and understanding from the holidays. A true Pollyanna at heart, I’d rather live hoping for the best than fearing the worst. Consider this quote by Lao Tzu – “If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future.
If you are at peace you are living in the present.”
A sparkle catches my eye. An errant breeze brushes my window. Magic appears in iridescent latticework. The spiderweb is back! What changed? Perspective. The sun, ever there, disappeared and hid reality for a moment. In 2021 let us not see through a glass darkly but rather remember that the magic of life never really disappears, it is found in the peace that lives within.
