“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” – Charles Dickens

Dickens might have been talking about present times with a pandemic, political and civil unrest, and violence in society. Are we in the worst of times? Have we passed through our season of darkness? Will the Spring be our season of hope?

I’m still figuring out the “best” part, but if you think of all those front line workers including family and friends who worked in hospitals, health care services, or grocery stores, it brought out the best in humanity. There are so many more who volunteer their time in the service of others. They represent the best too.

When you realize how important others are in your life, a great deal matters. Friendship, family, and even beloved pets stood out for me as important.

As a writer, I believe going through tough times can be both an obstacle or an opportunity. If you write through it, you can get through it.

I took the time, when I could, to write a memoir of 50,000 words as part of a summer writing challenge. I “escaped” to my writer’s den each day during the month of August and wrote until I met my goal. Next month, I write again for the National Novel Writing Month challenge. I set up a daily goal or time to write, and just do it.

So, for anyone who is anguishing these days, write through it.

Happy Writing!