Thursday, March 15, 2012

How I find patience

Sometimes as a writer I feel impatient. Time spent writing, dreaming and hoping that one of these manuscripts will be the one.
I'm working on a revision and currently a lot of things are changing and shifting in that manuscript. The changes are scary but I know I shouldn't give up because I feel like even though they are scary these are the kinds of complications and conflicts that are going to take my wip from good to better.

The other day I had a dream that Maurice Sendak and I were having a conversation about writing for kids. As I told a friend when he asked what we talked about "I can't remember but I'm pretty sure he wasn't telling me to give up writing and go into investment banking."

When I get impatient because I think things aren't happening fast enough or I think I've been at this writing thing for a long time and I want something to happen I think about my Grandma.

My Grandma lost her husband when she was 36. She had three kids under the age of 5. In order to provide for her family she went to work at the financial planning business her husband had started.  In 1950. This was before Oprah and Suze Orman.  Many of her clients left, happy to help her in other ways but not trusting that a woman could manage their money.

Over the next 45 years she built a business that still exists today.  She became successful. She was honored and looked up to as a successful business woman in her community.


So when I get impatient for success I look at all my Grandma accomplished after the 35 and hope that I can accomplish half that much.

5 comments:

Meredith said...

Wow, what an inspiring woman! I need to find patience, too. And just keep writing.

Mary Aalgaard said...

Her story would be one to share in a women's magazine. If you lived here, I'd say, submit it to Her Voice. She is inspiring and courageous. You are too!

Shelley Sly said...

Your grandma's story is an inspiration. I get impatient with writing, too. I feel like I've been running in circles and can't find a way to go forward. But our time will come!

Barbara Watson said...

That is inspiration!

Writing moves s.o. s.l.o.w.l.y. And then there are so many other steps after that take so much time too. I will think of your grandma now also when I'm feeling impatient.

Naina Gupta said...

Your grandmother is an amazing woman.