I’ve been thinking about routines lately, especially as summer is winding down and I’m anticipating my daughters returning to high school. My oldest will be a senior!

(little Emma will graduate soon!)

The routines have changed a lot since they were little. Thankfully there are no more diapers but I often spend most of my time trying to figure out where my daughters actually are. Routines can feel boring day-in, day-out. But the knowledge I have that this stage is rapidly coming to an end helps me appreciate it more. I won’t always get to prepare a bagel with cream cheese and hot tea for her in the morning. Instead of resisting the return of the back-to-school routine, I’m going to reach out my arms to embrace it.

I’m also going to use the change in daily life to create some new routines for myself, some daily rituals surrounding my upcoming writing work. This is exciting to think about! I am working on ideas for a new book and I realize that putting myself in an environment regularly to allow them to surface and develop is crucial for me to getting creative work done.

But I have one last hurrah of travel before school starts – a trip to NYC that is mostly cooking work. We go as a family, the girls help us with the preparation of meals, and we also play in the city. We’ve been doing this for years and it’s a wonderful tradition. My routines during next week will center around meal planning, shopping and cooking. These are  routines that I am grateful for.

How do you feel about the routines in your life? (Join in on my Facebook discussion if you are over there.)

Some upcoming (back-to-school inspired) events I’d like to share:

August 15th: deadline to submit to the Sandra Moran Writing Scholarship. Click to get details of awards and submission process. Apply and share!

August 18th: Local Writers Workshop, Topeka KS, I’ll be teaching on memoir along with other writers at this free workshop sponsored by the Topeka Public Library and The Kansas Authors Club.

September 3rd – Jump Start Your Memoir Online course begins. Register now to reserve your spot in my brand new online course! Please watch my FREE Intro Class to get a feel for the full class. I’d love to partner with you in your writing.

Thanks for including me in your routine of reading blogs, I truly appreciate you in my life.

Love, Molly