The Best Gift

I enjoy writing for Tiny Lights--an online writer's exchange.  What follows is one of my essays posted on April 15, 2012, in response to the question Why Do You Write?

On the surface, I write because it's what I love to do. I write because I can't help myself; writing is as much a reflex as breathing and equally essential. I write because it gives me satisfaction and a sense of completeness that nothing else can.

Writing also quenches my desire to create-—to transform the abstract lines and circles that represent the 26 letters of the alphabet into vivid, memorable experiences. During that transformation, images and words come; and stories are put together one sentence at a time.

What hits me during those transformational moments is not so much my own effort but gratitude for the wonder of the gift that is writing. All too often, words are just given to me. So-—during those moments when words seem so absent-—I remember that writing is a gift and remember to be grateful for it.

Because stories and books shaped my life, I'm also grateful for the opportunity to give back to the world that which was given to me. Ultimately, my giving attitude liberates me because I realize I can only give what I have at that moment. I don't necessarily have to be a brilliant writer or a best-selling novelist; I simply need to write and give from my heart. That is gift enough.

I acknowledge that writing-—in and of itself-—is an awesome gift and a beautiful form of art. I write because that's what I was meant to do. I write because painting stories with words is what I'm compelled to do. I write because-—hands down-—it's the best gift I can give the world and myself.

Here's the link to Tiny Lights:
http://tiny-lights.com/searchlights.php?id=1372#1373