#SOL17 When The Words Don't Come

It is Monday night, which means it time for me to post my Slice of Life. This one, the first of 2017, means the first time using #SOL17. Here I sit, at the computer, and I've got NOTHING. 

 I've thought about composing a letter to the stomach bug, which I've been narrowly escaping all break as friends and family have fallen ill. I had buckets ready to go, sure that me or my children would be victims after spending time on Christmas with family members that had the bug. So far, we've avoided it. (That noise is me furiously knocking on wood). But is a letter to a stomach virus really the way to kick off a new year?

 I've thought of telling a story of something that happened over the holiday break. My son, Alex, and I saw "Sing!" with my sister and nephew. On another day, my nephew's jacket mysteriously disappeared from Chuckee Cheese. These were stories I could write, but...I'm not feeling it. 

 I could write about how a new year makes me want to change everything right away- become super organized, fit, perfect. I organized two junk drawers and created more space in my bedroom. I finally put away earrings and necklaces that were in a heap on my dresser instead of in their proper, designated spaces in my jewelry organizer. It felt good, as I rediscovered some beautiful things I own and haven't been appreciating. 

 I could write about finding a new television series to love, after not watching tv for the last....three years? This Is Us has become a favorite and over my holiday break, I caught up on the first season. (You should totally watch it if you haven't been!).

 I could write about downloading Overdrive to my phone and discovering the magic of borrowing books digitally from my public library! How have I survived without this? I read First Comes Love by Emily Griffin on my phone and I think this will be the key to reading more books. I've borrowed Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert and am loving it. 

 I could write about how my daughter, Megan, has a history of loving and leaving her stuffed animals. My mother and I joked we could rewrite "To All The Girls I Loved Before" for Megan- "To All The Stuffies I've Loved Before." She chooses a stuffed animal to love and completely adores it- carries it everywhere, talks about it endlessly, decorates cards for it- only to have that animal replaced by a new one. There's been Monkey, Foxy, Lenny, Fluffy, and now, her newest love, Star. Pictures before Christmas show Fluffy, with a red bow decorating her ear. Pictures after Christmas show no signs of Fluffy- as Star, a Christmas gift, is now the treasured friend.
Note Fluffy in our Christmas Eve picture

Now Star is being brought to a New Years celebration

So...how does "nothing" add up to all this? While I didn't have a clear message tonight and felt stuck, I have committed to blogging here for Slice of Life and felt compelled to just START. And while this is not my finest piece of writing (let's hope), it does reflect the pieces of my life. When I look back next year, at this first post for 2017, I will remember how I was living in fear of the stomach bug, I'll remember my nephew Will's jacket going missing at Chuckee Cheese, and I'll remember that Megan's flavor of the day quickly changed from Fluffy to Star. 

Here's to showing up and writing, even when the words don't come.

Happy New Year, friends! 

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