Writing Through 2014

Like any good blogger, as the year closes, I’m reflecting on my writing from the past year. As I meander through a year’s worth of writing, I can’t help but come to one conclusion.

[Tweet “It’s been an interesting year, to say the least.”]

2014 has been a year of readjustment, settling-in, new beginnings, crazy schedules, and all the ups and downs of a typical 20-something. I started new jobs and ended others, all while trying to rebuild a semblance of a “normal” American life after 2.5 years in Africa.

And through it all, I wrote. Some months more than others. And today, I’m making a list of my 7 favorite posts of 2014. They aren’t my most read posts, but they are my favorites. And they highlight a year full of changes and surprises.

So…here goes:

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7. Letter to Grief

Dear Grief,

When I was younger, I thought you only had to do with death. And you’ve walked with me through the loss of loved ones, a presence lurking in the corner, waiting for the most inopportune time to make your presence known.

But that’s not the only place you lurk. You don’t just stand on the sidelines after death visits.

You’ve made your presence known in other ways. {Continue Reading}

6. Five Minute Friday: Writer

I rub my fingers over the hardened callouses on my thumb and forefinger, often ink-stained, evidence of a furious session of journaling. My handwriting has never been perfect, but the imperfect letters stumble across the page, weaving together the everyday story of my life. {Continue Reading}

5. A Girl Named Future

This precious child will never know the impact she had on me: that she became the face of poverty to me.

 

The stories about starving children in Africa now belonged to a name. They had a face. I remember her tiny school uniform, hanging loosely on the 5 year old’s 25 pound frame, a normal weight for a 2-3 year old. I remember the joy springing into her eyes when I stepped into the classroom. How she would rush to grab my hands when I led the children out to the garden, eager to work alongside me. {Continue Reading}

4. Five Minute Friday: Whisper

I pull off the gravel road, roll down the windows, and turn off the radio, willing my self to be immersed in the sounds of nature. Surrounded by a peace found in the aloneness of the great outdoors. As I listen, the beauty of creation whispers into my ears, filling my heart and soul. {Continue Reading}

3. When My “No” Means God’s “Yes”

Even 9 months later, it rarely leaves my mind. Unbidden images and memories arise throughout the day, a wonderful and painful reminder of my time in Africa.Wonderful because despite all the hardships, I truly loved what I was doing. But painful because my goodbyes were all rushed, intertwined with uncertainty, pain, and fear, after an injury that forced me to depart a continent I had come to call home.

It’s comical, because I started off saying “no” to it all. {Continue Reading}

2. For When You Feel “Less Than”

It only takes one look. A sighting of a friend you haven’t seen in years. The flash of sunlight off the undulating waves, sprinkled with bikini-clad bodies. A glance at a candid photo taken when you weren’t prepared.  A quick flip through a magazine. And suddenly, you feel “less than”. {Continue Reading}

 

1. Open Letter to All the Single Ladies

Dear Single Ladies,

I want you to know something: there is nothing wrong with you.

Your age doesn’t matter. Nor does the number of dates you have been on, or the boyfriends you have or haven’t had. {Continue Reading}

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Thanks for reading along with me this year, and I look forward to the start of a new year. I’ve updated the blog a bit in anticipation of a new year full of change, hope, and new adventures, and I invite you to follow along.

-Jen