Peace In The Margins

“To write is human, to edit is divine.” – Stephen King

A New Year means a fresh start, right? But what about all the things sitting in the hopper waiting on an edit? This seems the most difficult thing for me to make time. I have no issues whatsoever when it comes to hammering out a quick draft, that is unless there’s some powerful intent behind the purpose. It is in the editing process I get bogged down.

For instance, I’ve had the honor of writing several funeral/celebration of life speeches here recently, but when they hit the speaker’s desk, the changes he makes don’t always sit well with me. I know, Stephen King also says to “kill your darlings!” But when that time comes, I have to get the 2 year-old temper tantrum wielding toddler in me in check.

Isn’t that how we are in life as well? We believe we are the author of all we do, and while to a degree that is true, we must deal with the consequences of our own design. We must answer – either positively or negatively – for the choices we make. Yet, editing is possible. We can delete that terrible phrase in our current – or even past – chapter, and make things right.

Ask for forgiveness when you’ve failed, or give it even if your grip on the incident in question is white knuckled. Because, after all, if you count yourself a Christian, you have also been forgiven of all the things you’ve done (or even considered, which is often times worse) by Jesus.

So, contemplate the edits you might need to make – what darlings in your self need to be let go of? Have you made amends where amends need making? Have you shown mercy above condemnation? Have you given a hand up or turned a blind eye?

I encourage you this New Year, and new decade, to spend some time editing – both on the page and in your life. That’s my goal, take an introspective look – not peppered with rose colored glasses – at what can be changed in my life. Realign my focus on what matters most to me. Eliminate – or edit out – material things no longer needed. And after which, I hope to have a life story without unnecessary darlings.

Until Next Time,

Alicia