Suck It Up and Move On

Like other moms with little kids, I used to haul my ducklings to the park. It didn't take long to notice my parenting skills were a little, umm, different. When Susie ran to her mommy wailing about how it wasn't fair Johnny got to swing first, Susie's mommy wiped her tears and stomped over to Johnny's mommy. Negotiations flew hot and heavy until princess Susie landed her royal heinie in the swing.

When my kid came to me whining about unjust swinging arrangements, I told him, "Life's full of disappointments, kid. Suck it up. Move on."

Was I a bad mom? Yeah, probably. I've got to trust that God gave me my specific little mammals for a reason. However, should my offspring decide to enter an illustrious writing career, they'll be leagues ahead of little Susie, because the writing game is saturated with disappointment.

Writers are disappointed about a gazillion things. A plot that's stuck. Characters they can't revive no matter how hard they puff air into their lungs. The lack of a contract. Book sales. The frozen pizza they'll be having for dinner tonight.

You don't have to like disappointment, but you do have to experience it. There is a flip side to this depressing coin, however...

"Our best successes often come

after our greatest disappointments."

~ Henry Ward Beecher

Perseverance is key. Don't let discouragement stop you from moving forward, word by word. The only way out is through. Yeah, I know. That's sooo cliche, but completely true. Hang in there, little buddies, and keep writing!

And if someone gets to the swing ahead of you, get over it. Swings are overrated anyway. Go break a bone or two on the monkey bars and you'll have some war stories to swap around the fire when you're old and gray.