As I said in my last post, we went to HTB’s Relationship Central Conference last week. With two small children at home, I was only able to go because my parents kindly offered to stay with us and take on my role. They stayed on for a few more days in order to enjoy the weekend with us all, and to help me out further as I had a backlog of article writing I needed to focus on. Just having one clear day without constant ‘little person interruptions’ has enabled my stress levels to go right down as I now feel things are back to an achievable level. While I feel bad that I didn’t get to see my parents that much, we did manage to have a few fun evenings – and mum and I grabbed a couple of short girly shopping trips! They left this afternoon but all day I have been thinking about, and thanking God for, the blessing of parents. Not only are they happy to travel up and help whenever we need them to, my mum does a lot to lighten my load around the house too and my dad amuses my son whatever my mum and I are up to! And it is wonderful that my kids get to see their wider family fairly regularly, even though we aren’t local to one another. It brings a richness and vitality to their life – and stepping back from the hands on parenting gives me a chance to view my children from a slight distance, and the result is always fresh delight (okay the double meltdown that occurred after my parents left wasn’t great, but I am certain I handled better than I would have done usually). I have been challenged today as to whether my parents truly know how much I value their practical help, the love they show to me and my family and their words of wisdom. If you feel the same about your parents, do they know it too?
Tag: writing
‘Just’ mummy today
I found today really refreshing. I didn’t have a deadline to meet, or an article that I HAD to work on, so (apart from a few emails) I spent the whole day with my son and a few of our friends. It was so enjoyable to spend time with people I’ve been too busy to see on a regular basis recently, and I found I enjoyed being focused on ‘being mummy’ a lot more than I do when it is the only thing I do day in day out for a while. That made me think about the fact that it is actually good for my family that I’m now back to working more – not just financially but also because I am feeling more fulfilled as a person. I know there are some awkward moments – when I’ve got deadlines looming or an idea brewing so I can’t seem to focus on anything else – but surely a more fulfilled mum makes for a better mum? I do hope so, because I’d really like to continue on this path I’ve embarked upon! I’ve still got issues to sort – such as how to drop everything I’m in the middle of writing to deal with a ‘crisis’ of my daughter’s with a degree of grace and patience I haven’t as yet found! (And then to remember what on earth it was I meant to write next!) But as 21st-century mums we all have our juggling acts and I’m not here to moan – I love the fact I can work from home and be here for my kids as much as I need to be. I do have the best of both worlds and, while having a foot in both camps continuously can be quite a tall order at times, I wouldn’t have it any other way!
A few steps forward…
Recently I was able to go to the Christian Resources Exhibition, armed with my newly printed business cards. I was determined to make contacts in Christian publishing there – for both my editorial and writing capacities. And I did have some incredibly interesting and fruitful discussions – only time will tell how fruitful they were!
It has been a fairly gruelling few months of contacting magazines and publishers and pitching articles. It makes such a difference when one or two positive responses result in work – then I just have to find a way to fit them round my beautiful children! 😉 There have been one or two publications that I have desperately wanted to write for – and yet all my ideas seem to either fall short of what they want or I have come up with the same idea as someone else who got there first. That is the frustration of this type of work. I may just be starting out, but the in-house magazine editors have countless others trying to write for them and what makes me special? But continuing thought down that avenue does not do me any good, so I have to learn to pick myself up and keep going. Because persistence and creative thought are the only ways forward for me. I am determined to make this work – and have been thrilled by the pieces that I have been involved with. Some of the subject matter is truly humbling. And some of the other articles really help to promote others rather than me – but that’s the nature of this freelance writing beast. And I have to learn to toughen up and take the rough with the smooth. It isn’t an attack on, or rejection of, my personality or character when an editor says no thank you – I just simply need to lay that idea aside and think of another one. Easier said than done at times, but I’m trying!
Starting out
It was a couple of years ago, while at a leaders’ conference, that I felt God tell me He wanted me to concentrate on doing more writing. At the time I was heavily pregnant with my second child, so I didn’t think it was the best time to tell me that! However I did keep hold of what He said and kept mulling it over. Since the start of this year, some opportunities have arisen that have led me to investigate writing for magazines. I had one great lead straight away, and I think I naively thought it was all going to be that easy. I didn’t think about the hundreds of other people out there all trying to do the same thing. Or the fact that editors of magazines get loads of pitches every day so mine have to stand out somehow – and yes, I have to keep coming up with original ideas myself. With a two year old always with me that is quite a tall order!
I have learned a lot since I embarked on this new phase of my career though. Yes there is an awful lot for me to do, but I can’t do everything I’ve been trying to and I need to trust God in it all too. I need to trust that as I perhaps take a small step back I can still push doors, just at a slower pace, and believe that God will still open the right ones. Perhaps it is good to be reminded now that it is futile to try and do things simply in my own strength – because I won’t be much use to my family if I set off on this new phase trying to cope in my natural abilities.