It has been a long time since I have shared my writing regularly. I did not stop writing, but I did stop sharing my work. My reasons for stopping are not remarkable -time, trauma, and parenting stress were all factors here. These were however, also my reasons for starting – wanting to make my time count, to heal trauma and be a better parent.
My dream has always been to live a life where I can write and create every day, and so initially I was setting aside time and prioritizing this part of my life – when I stopped making time for myself however I found not time was made. While that may not exactly be profound – it is true, so in theory, should be fixable now.
When I write, I do not want to write words simply to write them. I want my words to mean something to me, to you and to my son. I believe that stories can change the world. I know that the universality of so many of our shared experiences can unite us in love and hope, where we may other ways have been divided.
When I started my original blog some years ago, I started out with these words, and so I felt it was important to share them again, as I again start to share my writing with you all.
As a mother I want to make sure that everything I do – the words I write, the food I cook, the causes I support – makes the future brighter not only for my son, but for your sons and daughters also. I know that if things don’t change, one day, in the future my son Mandela will look at the world and ask me, “Mum, how could people have stood by and done nothing in the face of such injustices?” I don’t want this day to come. I would prefer here him say “Things used to be bad. I am grateful we all worked together and changed the world for the better.”
Josie Young 