Holiday Thankfulness

We Should Feel Gratitude About Our Writing

Let’s Quit Complaining and Appreciate What We Have

After writing a publishing an article not long ago titled, “How Do You Know You’re Ready To Write a Book?” I’ve realized once again how grateful I am to be a writer. And to have the best people in my corner. There is much to be grateful for.

But today didn’t start out wonderful. I woke up later than I wanted to. I finally had my chiropractor office contact me only to find out that their soonest appointment is for January 26th. My lower back has been hurting again for the past little bit and it would be nice to get in sooner than that.

Then Libby decides she needs down from our tall bed. She has stairs, but prefers me to be her personal elevator. I get up, which is no easy feat with back pain, lower her down on the floor, and start typing again.

Mooch thanks me by puking on the floor. Fan-fucking-stastic.

After the joy of bending and scrubbing with a probable slipped disc. I’m sure as shit glad not to be doing carpet cleaning jobs on the side anymore, at least. Now back to writing this, and I feel at peace again.

You see, writing is my zen. It resets my world back to normal and my default setting to happy. It makes me forget the bullshit and feel thankful for the blessings. This is why I love it so much.

There are so many ways that a writer can feel gratitude. Blogging daily on Medium provides me with plenty of opportunities to feel grateful. I’ll tell you some of the ways I feel it every single day.

I’m grateful that I was blessed with the ability to read and write well. I’ve been reading since the age of 3. I used to check out 20 books at a time as a grade school-aged child. That was the most they’d allow at our library and I was all about it.

As I progressed to junior high and high school, I learned that I fared far better in English classes than in math classes. I could read, write, and comprehend those things far easier than math and science. Writing became one of my strengths.

I’m grateful that I discovered my passion for writing while I still have time to create a large body of work. Though I started this at age 47, I still likely have a good number of years I can do this. I hopefully have plenty of years left to speak my truth through my writing.

Perhaps that’s why I write so often, I want to get it out there before I can’t.

That brings up another reason I’m grateful: I never run out of ideas. I’ve written over 900 blogs in two years. I stop short of calling myself a content mill. I feel that each blog I write and publish is entertaining, humorous, and well-written.

I don’t plan these out and have rough drafts and ideas written down ahead of time. I think of an idea, write the title down, and set about crafting a blog around those two things. It’s rare when I have two ideas and titles ready to go to start the day.

Then I start typing, not knowing what I’m going to say in the next paragraph. Sometimes I’m clueless about what the next sentence will even be. But I’m grateful that this process works for me. It’s been amazing writing so many blog articles in such a short amount of time being a writer.

I’m also grateful that this never feels like work. I never think to myself, “Damn it, I gotta crank out the first blog of the day.” or “Man, I have to get started on a second one.” Writing for me is a joy, a pleasure, and an honor to be able to do as my profession.

I feel grateful that I am authentic in my writing. If I had started writing back in my 20s, this would not be the case. I would have kept worrying about what everyone thought about my writing. I’d have been fearful of what some people would have said about my harsh opinions regarding religion, politics, and my use of curse words in my work.

The great thing about becoming a writer at age 47: I don’t give a fuck.

I’m comfortable with myself and who I am. I know I stand for the rights of everyone who are decent human beings. I’m a voice for marginalized people and a friend to all who aren’t racists or bigots.

I am grateful that I write for people who actually appreciate it. I don’t care about the ones who get offended by my truth, or my rough-around-the-edges writing style. I have nothing against those people. If you need to block me because my writing offends you, groovy.

I do this for my followers and fans. I write for people who enjoy humor and also like to think. I write for myself and my own entertainment. I’m blessed that others feel the same way about it and enjoy what I create.

I am also so grateful for my Bride and my family who support my writing career. I no sooner had started writing at the beginning of 2022, when I had an unfortunate accident with a glass of wine in the kitchen while cooking.

I saw the tidal wave of vino splash across my keyboard. It looked something like this:

I wiped it down quickly, but it was toast. And I felt like bawling. Such a dick move, being so clumsy. But my Bride didn’t trip about it. She offered me her almost new, more expensive laptop to have and bought a cheapie for her notes.

She is always so kind, supportive, and encouraging. I’m grateful to have her in my corner, and for her love and support. You know how people say, “My wife, she’s the best.”? Yeah, mine really is. That’s why I always call her my Bride.

And then there’s my Medium family. The claps, the encouraging comments, and all of the friendships I’ve made during this past year have been more than I expected. It’s one thing to love what you do, but it’s quite another for others to feel the same way about it.

Receiving all of the views, reads, claps, and wonderful comments makes this worth doing. If there is one main reason I write twice or three times daily here on Medium, it’s for y’all. Having the support of my peers and friends makes me one of the luckiest writers out there.

I love being a Renegade Writer. I know that my style can be a bit much for some, but I’m grateful that the majority supports what I do. Not everyone is blessed to have so much support and encouragement. Thank you, all.

I am grateful for so much. I’ll never take you guys for granted. Or be something I’m not with my writing. I’ll come real with it on every piece, as long as you all keep enjoying them. And I’ll keep sharing all the tips and strategies that work for me, in an effort to help you, too.

This is what gratitude means to me, as a writer. Happy holidays and Merry Christmas to you all. &:^)

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