“I dream my painting and then I paint my dream.”
Vincent van Gogh

“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving
someone deeply gives you courage.”
Lao Tzu

My sister, brother, Alex and our dear friend, Terry, just came back from Colorado, where we all participated in a little ceremony for my mom and my beloved sister, Judy. They both loved the West and the Rocky Mountains, where Judy worked happily for a number of years. We were glad to be together for a while and to share in our love of our sister and mom, but it was hard as well. I thought of not writing about this, but since I’m on a mission to write dangerously and to encourage you to do the same, I’ve decided to share a few thoughts about this experience. My hope is that you’ll see how they apply to your writing as well as mine.

First, even though this was a difficult time, I decided to keep writing my posts and my four pages every day while I was away. These are two of my biggest anchors in my writing life and even though I may be struggling emotionally and storm-tossed, staying true to my own personal writing goals is incredibly important to me. I believe my my Dorothy and Judy would want me to pursue my passion and would understand that writing helps me cope with my sadness and celebrate them.

Second, this experience has renewed my desire to keep pushing forward with my work. We never know what life will hand us o what’s around the corner — every day is a gift and every moment that I am able to pursue my calling is a blessing. I really have to intensify my efforts and push harder to make progress every day. Sometimes I settle for a little bit of movement, even when I know that if I pushed past my feelings of fatigue or inertia, there’s often something creative on the other side. We all need to do this more often — to push farther and deeper.

And third, I really need to focus on completion. My sister Judy was wonderfully creative and a great writer. She was constantly spinning ideas. She finished some things and left others unfinished. Seeing her work in progress was really a heart-breaker. I have many projects of my own that are half finished — and I’m sure you do, too. Let’s make a vow to complete the ones we care about.