Seeking Comforts

After playing in the morning San Diego sunshine, my little girl is curled up on our hotel bed taking a nap. The pillow at her back comfortably reassures her of my presence so I can work from a laptop on the desk beside her. This short trip to CA while my husband attends a conference for work has made me realize the importance of comfort in my daughter's life. The new environment, change in daily routine, plus cutting a new tooth has really thrown Ayla for a loop. Watching her sleep in pillow softness, I have been thinking about the comforts I seek as a writer.

Words are the first thing that comes to mind. Strange words. Exotic words. Enchanting, dazzling words. Deeply stirring words. Simple words. I may find them anywhere and everywhere, and when my time for writing is cut short with the demands of being a mom, I find comfort in rolling a word or two around on my tongue, letting it soak into my brain, watching it spin in the air in front of me.

Paper and pens. Stores like Office Depot, Office Max, they absorb me in comfort like a sea sponge. I love running my fingers over the fine crinkly pages of my journal and gliding my pen to churn out words. Although I tend to write using my computer more often, nothing can replace the comforting sensation of turning a page in my journal and continuing my thoughts with my pen.

Getting lost in a thick, thick book in a dark room on a sunny hot day is more comforting than the AC, an iced vanilla latte, or the chime of the ice cream truck. Stepping into the shoes of a story's character and exploring new worlds opens my mind's imagination, comforting me as I step away from reality for as long as possible.

As a writer I find it important to seek out these comforts. But I think it is equally important to tackle obstacles that may scratch, may burn, and may even break me. The comforts are always there to help me get back up.

For my daughter, however, I prefer to submerge her in a world of comfort as much as possible. She'll have to learn sooner or later about the rough edges, but for now I am grateful to see her dreaming in a world of soft pillows.