Y’all might have noticed my lack of writerly posts recently. I have a very good (or very bad) reason for that.

You see, I haven’t gotten a lot of writing work done recently. I’ve been busy with scurrying around doing my non-writing jobs, catching up on life, and spending time doing all those great activities that take place in during the holiday season. I’m not excusing my lack of writing work, I’m simply saying that when faced with so much to do I have to pick and choose what’s most important for me to work on at any given time. And, although writing is extremely important to me, there are times when I have to set it aside for a bit and focus on other things.

I’ve come to the conclusion that being a writer is part of who I am, even when I’m not working on the writing itself. Breaks can be good. Breaks are needed at times. But, as long as I still want to be a writer, that means that one day the break will end and I’ll once again pick up the paper and pen and start transferring my heart into words.

It’s times like these – when I take a break from writing and focus on other things – that I realize just how hard writing actually is. Sometimes I forget about all the work it takes and all the learning and un-learning I have to do when I’m in the midst of it, because then it’s just life and it’s normal. But when I take a step back and have the freedom of not working on writing, then I realize how much of me I pour into creating a story and making it work and fixing all the issues that are wont to pop up in any good book.

And it’s times like these when I realize how much passion and drive and seriousness I have to throw into writing. I don’t write simply because it’s fun – cause sometimes it isn’t. I don’t write simply for the rewards I get – cause sometimes there aren’t really rewards. I don’t write for fame – cause yeah? Fame. That doesn’t necessarily happen. And I don’t write because I want to prove something – cause I have people who would love me regardless. Instead, my writing comes from a combination of too many things to name. It’s part of who I am. And it’s not always easy. It’s not always fun. I don’t always even want to be a writer.

In the end though, I am thankful to be a writer because it’s part of who I am and it’s helped me learn and grow in so many ways. And there are times when it’s the most fun thing ever. And there are times when it’s the most rewarding thing ever. And there are times when I want to hug the whole process and dance through sunflowers.

I’m a writer, even when I take breaks, and someday I’ll be able to look back and see how this break helped spur me forward.

Happy December, y’all!