2021, Grace & Return of the Malpeds

They say to write what you know. And I guess that’s a great idea…if you know what you know. In my case, I wrote Return of the Malpeds by creating a world and letting the characters romp around in it. What happened next, I suppose, was that those characters in return showed me some of what I “know” (although using the word know feels a bit lofty...perhaps it’s better to say what I’m learning…because what is life if not a work in progress!?). 

Those tiny, furry Trebors did it again, they lived what I’m learning. They went running around the Land of Bori and in the process reminded me that coming together, being part of families and communities, isn’t always easy.

But, if we are going to grow with one another, it will be because of the grace we learn to give and receive, not because we controlled it to be so. 

We have entered into 2021 grieving and aching for brighter days. Coming together in the midst of it all won’t be easy, but I feel certain that the best way to get there is to extend the gift of grace to one another and accept it when it’s offered.  

To show kindness, compassion, and mercy regardless of all else, and to extend that to ourselves as well.

The power to heal and bring families and communities (or tiny Trebors) back together is in the love shown by giving each other room to grow and accepting each other as belonging and precious no matter what. 

Being Together. Community. Grace. 

These are the words on my heart. And so, these are the words that come to life in my stories. It turns out that sometimes writing children’s fiction isn’t all that different than writing for you all here. And so, with the start of a new year, the release of Return of the Malpeds, and a heart filled with gratitude for the grace in my life, I’ll be writing more specifically about community, grace and all that pulls us together on my blog. 

I hope you’ll follow along, share your thoughts, be inspired, and jump into a year full of possibilities!