Happy Poetry Friday! Kat is hosting this week at her space HERE. Be sure to visit for more poetic creations!

It makes my heart glad to be back in the round-up this week. I am grateful to this community of writers who are always inviting others into the group and graciously welcoming them back. I am ready to regain my writing life and begin again!

This week, I'm doing just that by going back to my roots and the art of noticing. Taking time to simply notice and reflect is so essential. Noticing is an act of inward contemplation. We take in what we observe with our senses, and let it out as we perceived it. The images and scenes we describe can come to life with our words. The art of noticing is powerful. The world is our canvas, and we are artists with our words.

Try sketching a scene with your words. What do you notice or observe around you? Tune into your senses and let your words paint the picture. You can set the mood and tone to make your image come alive.  

Happy Poetry Friday! Thank you for visiting the ridge. Be sure to stop by Karen's space HERE for more of the round up!

As I continue to embrace the power of hope, I also remind myself of my dreams and vision for the future. It's important for me to lean into these thoughts and reflections. I invite you to think about your hopes and aspirations as well. Wherever they may lead, dreams and hopes are always a path worth following.

Dreams and wishes make great incentives to write. What are some of the things you dream of? Find some time throughout the coming weeks to write about your dreams and hopes. Sometimes, the simple act of capturing them in words can help make them come true.

Happy Poetry Friday! It's great to be back in the round up this week. Thank you for visiting the ridge, and please stop by Carol's Corner for more of this week's collection of poetry!

Hope is a beautiful thing, especially when it has wings. It's just the kind of hope I needed after experiencing a difficult time. I remember feeling so lost and detached from a path I wanted to take very much. As humans, we have a yearning to belong, to feel a part of something bigger. We are driven to connect, and remembering connects us to our identity. When I lost sight of my goal and the realization that I might not achieve it, I returned to my memories of hope. It turns out, I had many of them waiting for me in my notebooks to remind me of hope.

While this poem is about waiting with silent hope for my dear Purple Martin swallows to return to the skies, it's more about returning to myself. I needed to remember the things that are most important to me. I needed to find a new hope. And with this new hope, I have found delight in the peaceful way in which it has arrived.

How does remembering help you connect to your identity? Where do you find new hope?

Happy Poetry Friday, friends! This week, Tabatha is hosting the roundup at her space, The Opposite of Indifference. You'll find many poetry delights waiting for you there!

This week, I will be wrapping up a month long blog series centered around reflection. I have learned so much about myself as a writer throughout this series and will continue to do so, but the thing that has bubbled up the most for me throughout this process, is that response drives reflection. Response is a powerful action. Our response to reflection can spark so many new thoughts and purposeful change. The same thing is true when someone responds to our reflections. Our words and thoughts are validated. They matter. We all need someone to share our reflections with. Our responsiveness to life and to each other is worth sharing. 

We each have a unique voice to be heard. What makes yours unique? What is it that others might miss out on if you did not share your voice? What are you passionate about sharing with others? Write something you care about, something you want to stir up a bit. If you do, I invite you to share your learning reflections with the #TeacherMyth followers on Twitter. This group is also thinking deeply about reflective practices and the power of response. 

Hooray for Poetry Friday! Thank you so much for dropping by the ridge for a visit. Our friend Tara, is hosting this week at her space, Going to Walden.

I have been spending a lot of time reflecting on change these past couple of weeks. Change is an interesting topic to explore. I've become rather fascinated with the nature of change and our relation to it. I think there can definitely be some validity in the idea that the magnitude of change lies in the eye of the beholder. We all perceive and react to change differently. I have noticed this quite often with fellow colleagues in education. I think the important thing is to reflect on the change both individually and with others who face the same challenge. It's a process that demands our attention, reflection, and understanding. Sometimes we choose change, and sometimes it's chosen for us. It can be both easy and hard. And depending on the change and the implications, we can find ourselves feeling really any place on the spectrum. Whatever change we may face, reflection through talk and writing can help. It has certainly helped me understand the impact that change has in my life. Change often invites me to grow and stretch myself. That's one invitation, I'm always willing to accept. 

Careful reflection can often lead to meaningful change in our lives. If you have discovered helpful ways to use reflection to create powerful change, I invite you to share your learning reflections with the #TeacherMyth followers on Twitter. This group is also thinking deeply about reflective practices. 

Happy Poetry Friday! Thank you for visiting the ridge. This week, Tricia is hosting the round-up at her space, The Miss Rumphius Effect. You can find more poetry offerings there!

As a writer, I try to live a wide-awake life. When I do, I notice how much it improves my life and my interactions with everything around me. There is something extraordinary that happens when the lens of attention begins to focus and sharpen. There is an immediate connection between myself and whatever I have stopped to acknowledge has come into my frame. And whatever it may be, it is worthy of my attention. It becomes the center of everything. Through this simple act of noticing, I learn something more about this life.

"The dream of my life
Is to lie down by a slow river
And stare at the light in the trees-
To learn something by being nothing
A little while but the rich
Lens of attention."

-Mary Oliver from her poem, Entering the Kingdom

Mary Oliver was a true master of the art of noticing. Her wise words will continually inspire me to live with a lens of attention. There is so much in this world to delight in. ​

Noticing often leads to learning. We can learn so much about ourselves and others through the simple act of noticing. Try practicing the art of noticing to see what comes of it. Pay close attention to details and ask yourself questions to lead to reflection. 

Where are spaces in your day that you are building a habit of writing and reflecting? What are you noticing and learning about yourself as a result? If you try out the art of noticing, I invite you to share your learning reflections with the #TeacherMyth followers on Twitter. This group is also thinking deeply about reflective practices and the power of noticing. There is so much to learn about ourselves and the world around us through a careful lens of attention ! 

Happy Poetry Friday! Thank you for visiting the ridge! Be sure to stop by Kat's space HERE for more poetry delights this week. 

I don't generally make resolutions at the beginning of a new year, but I do make a point to reflect on my personal and professional life. My writing life has always helped me balance them both, so I'm happily reclaiming my writing life this year. It's time to prioritize my time and energy to those things that matter most. My family and the work that I do as an educator to serve children and others will always be top priority. My writing must be a high priority as well. Writing completes me. I am better for myself and others when I write often. 

So after reflecting on how I spend my time, I have decided to be more intentional about creating a space in my day to write.

1. Instead of plopping down on the couch to watch tv, I can read from one of the many books in my stack and jot down my favorite line. I can come back to it later as an invitation to write. 
2. Instead of checking Facebook during moments of wait time or boredom, I can step outside and check out all that nature has in store for me to write about! Wait time is write time.

I know it will be difficult at times, but I am determined to return to my writing life this year. I know that what I focus on, I'll get more of. Whatever your goals or priorities may be this year, I hope you also find your creative space to reach them.  

I have been thinking a lot about the reflection process lately, along with many of my teacher colleagues. It's a great topic to explore as a writer. One of my friends, Aaron Hogan, author of Shattering the Perfect Teacher Myth, has initiated a blog challenge over the next few weeks to write a reflection in response to a given prompt. I think it's a wonderful invitation to write, so I have decided to accept his challenge. If you would like to join in, I will be including his weekly prompt in this section of my blog or you can find the prompts on Twitter at #TeacherMyth. 

​This week, notice how you're using your time. Is there a space in your day to build in some time for reflection? 

Happy Poetry Friday! I am so grateful to be back with this amazing community of poets! I can't wait to read all the poetry offerings waiting to be unwrapped at Donna's space, Mainley Write, on this last Poetry Friday round-up of the year. 

It feels so wonderful to be writing for myself again. For some time, much of my writing has been the academic kind. Now that I have completed my master's degree program, I can give myself fully to my writing life. I can return to my pen and notebook. I may be a bit rusty, but I believe writing is the kind of thing that comes back to you with ease. Like a beloved song or some fond memory from childhood, it's always there. It always waits, and it always takes us back whenever we are ready to return. 

For me, nature is a sturdy workbench for my writing. I will make time and listen, to hear the words that it may speak.

Whatever your workbench may be, my hope is that you return to it again and again. It will be there, ready to help you accomplish the work of your heart. 

Happy Poetry Friday! Thanks for visiting the ridge this week. For more of the poetry party, head over to Carol's space Beyond LiteracyLink.

Over Labor Day weekend, I took some time to walk about the ridge. I enjoy observing all the gifts that the natural world has to offer! Our observations can surprise us and wonder us. Having a notebook brimming full of observations can inspire so much writing!

Writers are observers of the world around them. Take some time this weekend to take a walk and record your observations. Open your senses and capture all the life around you! Let your observations lead you to many new writing possibilities. A simple walk can do a writer good!

Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome to the ridge. This week, I am sharing a tiny poem about a Luna moth. Be sure to visit Tabatha at her space, The Opposite of Indifference, for more of the round-up.

​It seems that I make very little time these days for my personal writing, which has me feeling a little lost. Most of my writing consists of reflective academic writing for my graduate school work. It's been hard to find the balance between work, school, and home. I welcome all my visitors this week to share your wisdom or any strategies you may have for maintaining a healthy writing life. I look forward to reading your comments!

This week, I decided to jump back into the round-up with a small poem about a moth. I stumbled upon this tiny poem, while I was flipping through the pages of one of my old notebooks. It reminded me very much of a poem I might find in Valerie Worth's book, "All the Small Poems and Fourteen More." I love that poems can come in all shapes and all sizes. I can always find a poem idea lurking between the pages of my notebook. That's comforting to me as a writer, especially when my writing time is limited. 

Revisiting and rereading your notebook entries can often bring a sleeping idea to life! Whenever you feel stuck in your writing or you're searching to find an idea, try returning to your notebook for writing inspiration. Big or small, ideas are waiting for you to lift them from between the pages of your notebook!

Happy Poetry Friday! It is great to be back with friends this week. Thank you for visiting the ridge this week, where spring has sprung! Today, I'm writing about a favorite friend to me as a writer, my notebook. Join the rest of the round-up at Linda's space HERE.

My notebook is one of my dearest friends. Like a friend, I miss my notebook when I am away from it for too long. When I haven't visited my notebook, to drop in a word or a line or two, I feel very sad. Sometimes, things in our life can take us away from spending time with our friends. This can happen in our writing lives, too. When this happens, I try to give myself some grace. I know my notebook will be there waiting for me. Like a true friend, it's always there. It calls to me, like a long lost friend. I open it up, and begin again. And just like that, I feel anew!

Think about your favorite writer's tools. How are they like "friends" to you as a writer? If you keep a notebook, which kind do you prefer. Notebooks can often be called a safe place, a think-tank, a workbench, and so many more! What makes your notebook special? How might you describe it using this sentence stem, "My notebook is..."

Whatever writer's tools you use to collect your words, how do they welcome you and sustain you in your writing life? A writer's tool is a friend for life. Happy writing with your favorite writing tools and friends!

Happy Poetry Friday, dear friends! It has been bitterly cold here on the ridge, and I am anxious to read all the poetry offerings this week that are sure to warm my heart! You can find the warmth of poetry this week at Kay's space, A Journey Through the Pages.

January winds have come sweeping over the ridge so swiftly and so suddenly. I find myself in a busy tizzy these days. A new year provides the opportunity to re-root and rearrange. But perhaps my favorite thing about January, is the chance to re-enter my writing life. Though the newness of the year may bring unknowns and uncertainties, I know how to sit idly with pen in hand and write. Knowing this simple truth, gives me comfort. Writing can help me grow patient and attentive to all that lies ahead in the new year. Writing is a teacher. I listen. I trust. I know just how.  

Learning to be patient and accepting what comes can be a difficult task at times. Yet, when we let go and trust, our senses become keener. The blessing of words may come softly and freely. Each writer finds a way to turn idle thoughts into meaning and song. Practice sitting idly with pen and notebook in hand. See what voices emerge, what dreams may come.

Happy Poetry Friday! Thanks for joining me for a visit this week. Matt is hosting this week at his space Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme. Join him for the rest of the round-up offerings!

Everyday a new set of current events and topics to ponder present themselves as focal points in our daily lives. While I believe it is very important for us to stay up to date with the happenings and possibilities that we may face in the future, I think it is equally important to stay centered in the now. 

However, staying grounded in the now, does not always come so easy. In my own experience, I have noticed too often that the thoughts and sometimes worries about the future distract me. And somehow, before I've even realized it, I have given my full attention to something in the future that might not ever happen. As a result, I end up feeling as though I may have missed something extremely valuable and meaningful in my current reality. This tends to be a struggle for me both as a writer and as a person who cares deeply about the natural world as well as the small intricacies of ordinary life.
Whenever I sense this tension, this struggle, I do what I always do. I write. This kind of fast and furious writing in my notebook, allows me to document my thinking about the future, so that I can continue living in the now. By both acknowledging my questions and fears, I can create a space in time that gives me the freedom to plant myself in the moment to write the immediate thoughts of my mind. Writing provides an invitation and the the room to welcome balance in our lives.   

Writers have different ways to balance their past, present, and future thoughts.  For example, many writers choose to blog about ideas and issues that they are immediately responsive to. Other writers may choose to log their daily thoughts in a journal or notebook. Some writers do both! How do you choose to document your current and future thoughts for safe keeping? Where do you find balance in your writing life?

Welcome Poetry Friday readers! Thanks for visiting today, and be sure to visit our host Jone at her space Check It Out.

As many of my colleagues and students begin a new school year next week, I offer a question to ponder.

How do you know what to do with a blank page if it's always written for you?

To know triumph is to know defeat. Our struggle is real, and it binds us together-makes us human.

So, I invite you to take a risk this year. Take a leap. Face the page. Whatever your page may be, meet it head on. Your journey has just begun. It will be long, and it will challenge you every step of the way. but it will be well worth the wait. Remember, go slow to go fast!

And, I hope you bring others with you along the way. Share your story. Fill the page. And listen. For goodness sake, listen. Turn the page, and write, one page after another until it happens. You realize you're not done, you've only just begun.

So you'll begin again. The pages will be written by you, not for you. You will decide what comes next. You'll use the strategies you chose along the way, and you'll face each blank page, knowing you have the words to fill it.

How will you face your next blank page? Whatever your answer may be, it's golden! The risks we take and the strategies that we learn along the way are golden nuggets to share with our colleagues and students. Here's to the blank pages in life!

Happy Poetry Friday! Our friend Margaret is hosting today at her space Reflections on the Teche. Don't miss out on the poetry fun!

This week, I am back at the ridge with my friend, the moon. Yes, that's right, the moon again. I never grow tired of giving the moon  praise for my writing inspiration. The moon is one of those magnetic topics for me. I feel drawn to write about it whenever I might feel a little empty. Thanks to the moon, my writing can always fill itself full. 

Writers have different ways of filling their writing life with an abundance of words. What strategies do you have for bringing fullness to your writing?

Welcome! I'm so glad you are here visiting today. After your stop here at the ridge, be sure to sail over to Donna's space Mainely Write, where she is hosting the round-up for us. 

I'm glad to be back with my Poetry Friday friends this week. I have been away hosting my other dear friends and members of the CSISD Writing Project. This is the third year that our school district has offered The Heart of Texas Writing Project professional development for the teaching of writing.  This summer institute is truly a transformative experience for the participants. As teacher consultants, we are honored to be in a room full of teacher writers so dedicated to providing authentic writing instruction for their students. In celebration of our week together as writers, I am sharing a few pictures that capture our work and a piece inspired by these writers with wings. 

Discovering and exploring your identity as a writer is often a great place to begin your writing life. Spend some time getting to know yourself by writing inside your notebook. Write widely and often. Read and reread. Give yourself some grace. Focus on what is there rather than what is not. It is through a lens of appreciation that we must learn to view our own writing. It is through this lens that we may begin to expect and welcome the sound of our own words pitter-pattering upon the page. It is through this lens that we mine the words of others, those writers at heart.

Happy Poetry Friday and July full moon week! On the ridge this week I am sharing a poem in honor of my friend, the moon. For more Poetry Friday friends and offerings, visit Carol at Beyond LiteracyLink.

There's just something about a full moon that really helps ignite my writing ideas. It's fun to watch the moon grow and rise. My writing seems to grow more full and heavy with emotions the more time I spend under the moonlight. Perhaps that's why the moon is one of my favorite magnet topics. I can always find inspiration from its glow. In this way, I consider the moon as one of my "topic friends."

As a writer, I think it's so important to have topic friends to count on as well as people in your life that you consider writing friends. These might be members of a writing group, colleagues, or even members of your family. 

If you would like to see the full moon this week, be sure to look to the sky on Sunday July 9th. My dear friend, moon, will  be there waiting to light the way to many new words and writing ideas for you!  

Make a list of your "topic friends" and other writing friends. Think about one of your topics and spend a little time collecting ideas around this friend. Sometimes having a conversation with your topic and listening to your topic speak to you is helpful, too! After you have collected around your "topic friend", choose a writing friend from your other list as someone you can talk to about your writing. Writing with friends can be a rewarding and joyful experience!

Welcome Poetry Friday friends! It's great to be back with the Poetry Friday community this week. To join in the fun this last week of June, head over to Diane's space at Random Noodling.

Some nights, I have a really hard time sleeping. I find myself wandering into the darkness of my sleeping house. There's something quite magical that happens late at night when my mind is still awake. It is during those times, that I reach for my notebook and write. I let my imagination run wild, allowing the night time world to whisper its stories and secrets. The poem I am sharing this week has a bit of the magic and whimsy I experienced one night. I wish each of you a night of mystical writing, too1

If you ever have trouble sleeping, writing in your notebook can often soothe you right to sleep. I like to keep a notebook by my bed in case I can't sleep, or if I want to scribble down a dream I want to remember. So many magical ideas can come late at night in the quiet dark. Before you sleep away, jot your thoughts down so they are sure to not slip away!

Welcome! I am so excited to be hosting the Poetry Friday round-up this week. I am incredibly grateful to be a part of this group of poetry friends! Thank you for joining in the round-up this week. Please be my guest here at the ridge and add your link at the bottom of the post if you like.

A few days ago, a special package arrived in the mail. Inside was a well-loved copy of the book, The Shape of a Year by Jean Hersey. It was a gift from my dear cousin Ali, who had discovered it in her late grandmother's house. She had read it and thought that I might enjoy reading it as much as she did.

It turns out she was right. After reading the inside jacket and the introductory chapter, I knew that it was one of those unexpected treasures that find their way into the heart.

Here are a few excerpts that I particularly admire.
QUIET AND SMOOTH, fresh and untouched the new snow lies across our meadow. Its pristine surface catches the sunlight, and tree shadows stretch like great blue pencils over the unbroken white. The snow folds gently over rocks and hummocks half concealing, half revealing a variety of different shapes.
  So lies our year ahead, its basic ingredients sun and shadow and suggested shapes of things to come. I wonder what we will do with this year, what it will do with us, and what together we and life will create during the twelve months ahead.
  A new year is a gift... Things happen. We grow (we hope), and we learn willy nilly... Our reachings, acceptances, rejections, our hesitancies, courage, fears, and our loves, all these form the shape of the year for us, as individuals, as part of a family, as a member of a community.

For me, Hersey's words offer a gentle invitation to find joy in the ordinary gifts of each day of the year. She invokes a sense of purpose in the awareness and careful observation of ourselves and the world around us.

Though I was unable to find much information online about her personally or professionally, I was able to find a few tidbits about her life's work. Jean Hersey was born in 1902 in New York City. She later moved to Weston, Connecticut where she wrote several books about gardening including, A Woman's Day Book of Houseplants and I Like Gardening. Her other books, A Sense of Seasons and The Shape of a Year, are incredibly poetic memoirs that reflect her love of nature and her pleasure in documenting the beauty of ordinary life.

I have only begun to read The Shape of a Year, but I am certain that I will continue to be inspired by Hersey's graceful words and the joy she finds in the realm of daily life.  

You can find some of her quotes HERE.

The shape of our year will soon change again as we head into the summer season. Spend some time thinking about the shape of your year so far and the days to come. Where do you already find joy in your daily life routines? Take a moment to write and reflect on these instances.

​Think about how these moments help shape your thinking throughout the year. What impact might this thinking have on your goals and challenges this year?

Happy Poetry Friday! Thanks for stopping by this week. After your visit here on the ridge, be sure to make Jama's Alphabet Soup your next stop on the Poetry Friday trail!

It's hard to believe another school year is coming to an end. The month of May has a way of sweeping in unexpectedly. It closes out the school season and opens the door to another.

Soon, I will open the door to a summer season filled with writing and rewriting. I can't help but look forward to the many blissful hours I will spend on the ridge, just listening to the whispers. So many whispers have found their way into my notebook since I began my writing journey in this place I call home. I am so grateful to have this space to write and rewrite these whispers in my writing life.

I remember introducing my writing space here on the ridge during my very first blog post. I am including the poem from that first blog entry below. So much time has passed since it was written. And there is much that is still left unwritten. I am certain that more whispers will find their way into my writing life, but until they do, there are those that magically seek to be rewritten. They whisper to my mind, and I begin to write.

Rewriting can be a beautiful thing. Just like rereading, we tend to notice things that we didn't pick up on the first time around. Writing about topics we love over and over again is like reading our favorite books over and over again. Our writing becomes well worn and loved, just like our most treasured stories. 

Happy Poetry Friday! I am still on poetry cloud 9 after all the  Poem in your Pocket Day festivities! Today, I am sharing some of the fun things that we did at my school to celebrate this perfectly pocketed poetic-filled day. For more of the poetry round-up, head over to JoAnn's space Teaching Authors.  

There were poems in pockets throughout our entire school yesterday. And by the end of the day, there were none. That's because they were all tucked away in the pockets of children!  It was so fun to see the excitement on their faces when they plucked a poem from the pocket and began to read.

What made it even more exciting was that the poems were written by the fourth grade poets at our school. Each poem was like a special treasure that students carried with them and read throughout the day.

I am including my own fourth grade son's poem below. He really enjoyed getting to write his poem and share it with others.  It was a perfectly splendid "poem in your pocket day" for all.

I had to join in the fun, too! Here is one of the poems that I gave as a gift to all the staff members at my school to place in their pockets for the day.

I invite you to pick a poem for your pocket this week. Carry it with you wherever you go. Let each line, each word, and each pause be your guide as you journey throughout the day. Live with your poem for a week, for a month, for a lifetime. May it bring you pockets full of joy each time you read it!

Welcome, Poetry Friday visitors! This week I am taking a break from my bird waiting and sharing a poem of... Be sure to squeeze by Heidi's space My Juicy Little Universe, where she is hosting today's round-up.

They're here! The Purple Martins have returned to the ridge at last. Mama and Papa Martin arrived this evening just before sunset. Words can't express how excited I am to have these purple-winged beauties back. Of course, I had to give it a go by drafting a little tribute poem to this traveling pair.

Writers, I do hope each of you continue to live, dream, and write with all your heart. Hopes and dreams do come true when you write. Your words matter. There is hope, still. 

Writers live, dream, and write. I remind myself of this quite often, especially when I am in a slump. It helps me remember that my dreams in this life can come true through words.

​Words matter.
Words are hope.
So Live. Dream. Write.

Howdy, Poetry Friday friends! Thanks for stopping by and visiting me at the ridge where I am writing up a storm about birds while I wait for my favorite spring birds, the Purple Martins, to arrive. While I'm rounding up poems about birds, our friend Karen Edmisten is rounding up words for our round up today. Thanks for hosting, Karen!

Waiting sure is hard sometimes, especially when you want something really bad. For the past couple of weeks, I have been patiently waiting for my Purple Martin bird friends to return. With each passing day, my mind becomes and more consumed with worry that they might not return. Lucky for me, I know what to do while I'm waiting. I write! I write about other bird friends and animal friends that I love. I write about hopes, fears, and things I hold dear. I write about lots of things. Words can be great friends that help to pass the time away through all that waiting.

I have hope that the Martins will arrive, but until they do, I keep writing! After all, I have so many words that want to sprout wings and fly out into the world each day.   

There are times and even places where we tend to spend a lot of time waiting. You might wait in line at a grocery store or at a drive through restaurant. You might even spend time waiting at an airport, subway station, or a doctor's office. So what do you do while you are waiting? Perhaps you read a book or spend time on your phone. Do you write? Writers, my hope for you today and everyday is that you find those spaces in the seams of your life to write. Think of all the words that are waiting to be written!  

  I can't believe it has been so long since my last post. Although I have been keeping my notebook, I don't feel like I have spent enough time keeping up with my writing life lately. One of my biggest struggles is finding the time to fulfill all of my day job obligations while still being faithful to my writing life. I have heard other writers speak of this, so I am pretty sure the struggle is real. I wonder how other writers embrace this challenge. What are some ways to return to a writing life? How can we build back the stamina after taking those longer breaks from writing? I have been thinking a lot about these questions, so I have been trying different ways to take back my writing life.
  To begin with, I did an assessment of my writing. I gathered my notebooks and looked carefully at my entry dates. I wanted to see just how much writing I was producing across the days and months of a year. And honestly, it made me sad at first to think of all the days that slipped by without my words upon the page. But then I found that this really did motivate me to reclaim my writing life. I decided that if my first step was to write daily or consistently, I was going to have to be strategic. So I put my notebook by my bed with a pen and a pencil, and I made a point to reach for it every night before I turned out my light. I also found that rereading entries and even thumbing through previous notebooks really jump started my writing back to life.
  I know there must be other ways to return to writing, but I think finding what works for you just takes a little assessment and exploration of your writing life. I discovered that if I got caught up in thinking about all the things "I should be..." doing other than writing, I would miss out on living. And I wouldn't miss that for the world! No matter what, don't give up. You are a writer, so keep writing!