Write On!
When I graduated from college, I went through that awkward stage of, what am I going to do now? I was on the brink of letting my writing fade away after finding a real corporate job. We all need bits of inspiration to encourage our work, to ignite that fire that keeps us going.
Several months later, my mother walked into my room with tickets to hear Dr. Maya Angelou in Lexington, Kentucky; I was speechless. We made a mother-daughter weekend out of it, driving around Lexington.
I remember walking into the hotel in Lexington, and my mother noticing the buzz of the hotel staff. Dr. Angelou was walking in! While her health was not good at that time, she did not want to speak publicly to anyone. Oh, how I wish I had just walked up to her anyway, but I wanted to be respectful. I was able to leave my copy of A Song Flung Up to Heaven for her to sign.
That night, Phenomenal Woman and The Walls of Jericho Come Tumblin' Down flowed into our ears, the rhythm of her voice, strong and passionate, was absolutely incredible. Dr. Angelou's voice rang in my ears, a voice of such profound depth. Hearing Dr. Angelou is one of the most precious memories I have of being with my mother.
After the performance, I picked up my book at the hotel- Dr. Angelou's handwriting lifting off the page. Write on! Joy! I was mesmerized. My mother had also written an inscription on the inside cover, words that I now read over and over.
There was such celebration in Maya Angelous words. A reminder- be joyful in the words flowing through my fingertips, write out of joy and celebration. No matter what is going on around us, write on, be joyful. Writing is a gift, a gift of beauty and truth that is precious. Use it.
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