Appreciative Heart

Sandra Saxon Burnsed

As so​meone that mostly creates my words for myself. I have no expectations that my pages will ever be known to other than to a certain few. I no longer write for the profit, but for the pure joy of writing. I assume that’s what makes my words so freeing is the fact that I don’t give a damn. Still it catches me by surprise when I got a message from someone that asked, “Would love to know about your writing process. You are very productive”. Obviously, I was flattered. Then I kinda had to laugh to myself at the mechanics of it. Because it was almost like they believe there is some secret process to writing so much.

The simple response I gave to them was time and freedom. You see, I’ve been writing since I was a kid. Creating stories and writing poems from a very young age. But as I became an adult and especially a husband and a parent, I put away such “trivial” things for more “practical pursuits”. But when I had my “mental breakdown” I was urged to write again. This happened intermittently for the next decade or two. But due to the effects of certain medications I was taking, my words were more  mechanical then freeing. This working out fine in my chosen trade of Systems Analysis. But it did little to free my soul.

That was till around ten years ago when my physical health began to deteriorate and then there was a change in medication and life’s priorities. No longer was I mostly obsessed with dying and worrying about life’s obligations. Over time I became free of those shackles of fear, which in turn gave my words the freedom to flow. So there’s my 10 second answer to a 30 minute question. Without the burden of fear or expectation the words just flow. They may not all be the words you need, but they flow from a glad and  appreciative heart.