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Welcome to the KingZoo and Funny Farm, where we learn to live, laugh, and love together. Here you'll find snippets of life in our zoo, parenting tips we've learned along the way, reflections on shining God's light in this world, passions in the realm of orphan care, and our journey as parents of a visually impaired child with sensory processing disorder. Have fun!

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Okay, I'll do it again. If you insist.

To write, or not to write? That is the question.

If I were to join the Slice of Life Story Challenge, I think this would be my third year. With significant mental health breaks in-between.

I don't like contests, deadlines, challenges, and the like. There's too much pressure. Long hidden (though not too far hidden) fears of never being good enough, never able to measure up, or be able to accomplish anything worthwhile come quickly back into view.

To look at a whole month and think about having to write every single day immediately gives me a long list of ready-made What ifs...

What if Victor has a horrible day and I have no time to write?
What if I forget?
What if the day is filled with too many appointments and the thought of having to leave the house so often drives my stress too high to write?
What if I can't think of anything witty or wise that day?
What if I'm spending so much time cleaning, cooking, laundering, etc. that I can't write?
Okay, that's just a fantasy but...
What if I just got nothin'?
What if....

So I had decided not to participate again this year.

But my best friend always gently (or not so gently) asks if I'm participating.

And this year, my fifth grader decided months ago that she is participating. She attends a charter school which I affectionately like to describe as "homeschool in a classroom" for it really does feel like the best of both worlds. Each child is asked to participate in making three goals for herself. Eden chose writing as one of her goals, more specifically, sharing her writing. She is to find three ways of sharing her writing during this school year. She has already entered one writing contest and decided to participate in the Slice of Life Classroom Challenge this month.

Without knowing it, my 5th grader gave me the encouragement I needed. So here I am.

3 comments:

  1. I love that you're here because of Cindy. Her school sounds incredible. Welcome back!

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  2. Sounds like a marvelous reason to take the challenge. Your daughter will be checking up on you! Nice to hear about the school & those goals, too.

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  3. Your "what if's" are such a reality, that I think it makes the SOL that much more powerful. What if... this becomes the most meaningful March?

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