“In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.” Albert Camus
“There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart.” Celia Thaxter
As autumn arrive, we are enjoying a lovely Indian summer where I am. Still, the days grow shorter and there’s a taste of winter in the air. This year’s passing of the seasons made these two quotes seem especially apt. And in my mind, they are somehow linked.
In the midst of winter, to find an “invincible summer” within as Camus did—what a gift! We all have this place of peace, joy, and sunshine within us, I believe. It is quietly waiting for us whenever we need it. We may forget about it for a time, but it is always available.
As writers, it’s so important to remember this! In the writing life, we experience “the depth of winter” Camus speaks of in many ways. We may feel bleak about our prospects of finishing a project that we once felt fired up about. We may feel lost and confused about a revision that isn’t going smoothly. Or simply experience a bout of low energy.
Whatever form our winter takes, we can always tap into the “invincible summer” inside us. We can rest in that quiet, secure place and restore ourselves. We can leave all the distractions and the disappointments and find comfort in knowing that “this too shall pass” and that summer always follows winter.
“There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart.”
These lovely words of wisdom from Celia Thaxter also remind us that gratitude opens the door to abundance and the sunshine of summer within us. How many blessings we have to be grateful for as writers!
We have the chance to express our creativity. To share what we’ve learned. To give our readers exciting and entertaining moments of escape and reverie. To reach others through our words. To remind each other that we are not alone—that we are all connected.
When we remember all these gifts that flow from our writing, then no matter what the weather is outside our door—no matter what the circumstances we face—we can bathe in the inner sunshine of our own invincible, eternal summer. Write on!
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