It’s okay.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the most comfortable-productive outfit for working from home. Look. I can’t always think about war and overcoming grief and how I’m screwing my kids up, okay? Sometimes I have to decide what to wear, knowing that I’m not going out anywhere but it’s not decent to totally give up and wear something so comfortable that I’ll just turn into a pile of jelly. Yesterday I googled “sweatpant overalls” because I think that might really do it. The missing link in my closet. Overalls says “productive” sweatpants says “comfortable.” Wait till you see my new uniform. It’s gonna be so good.

I have been trying to figure out the optimal time for me to schedule adding writing prompts, but it doesn’t seem like I can get a handle on what’s going to happen in any block of time. It’s been a few weeks of setting a schedule for myself and I wouldn’t say I’ve found a perfect template. Tuesday (yesterday) was very good, I felt quite organized. 8 am call. 11 am call. 1 pm call. Emails and yoga in between. A load of laundry. Today was a snow day and I woke up and it was all white outside so I changed from night pajamas to day pajamas and never put my glasses on, kept thinking to but then it was dark outside and I was sitting in my bed with this optimistic stack of books I was going to read and a separate stack I thought I’d finally annotate. And I thought I’d write a prompt. I am an optimist when it comes to time I have to complete tasks. Anyway, I want to get back to posting something each week, and not fuss over is it the right thing, and not stress over I haven’t posted anything.

I read this short numbered essay by Sonya Huber (who’s just brilliant, honestly) and thought you’d like to read it, because it’s so so good. I love the how-to format, and I know you know how much I love to number things to add some gravity. Try it out. Maybe pick the thing, you know. The thing she alludes to in number one. Write it as the title. “How to write…” then write not about it but about writing about it. Write into the ceremony. The best place to sit? What should you wear (sweatpant overalls obviously)? What kind of light do you need? What should you be drinking? Maybe the thing right now is to write around the thing. Or maybe you’re ready to go right to it. Either way I’m with you. Much love.

Oh, and if you’ve been in a workshop with me at one of the military hospitals and haven’t done so already, could you take this survey? I swear to you it really helps, we really need to hear from you.