Truth be told, I really wanted to write about other topics this week. I planned to do a travel blog post once a month, because I miss traveling and want to remember what it’s like to jump on a plane without fear of deadly germs. Then I thought I should switch it up and do a post on imposter syndrome, with some ways I get through it when it sneaks up on me. I started both posts but didn’t finish.
This month I participated in a 30 Day Haiku Challenge hosted by Nicole Gulotta. If you want to find out more, you can check out @nicolegulotta or #30dayhaikuchallenge on Instagram (I’m @cjdubs03). Overall, I found it fun and purposeful, and it definitely stretched me creatively. I reflected back on everything from childhood memories to daily blessings to appreciating more of the chilling beauty of winter. Normally, I can’t wait for winter to be over and done with.
But in all honesty, the challenge took way more time than I gave it credit for. While it may only take 10 minutes a day to write a haiku, then there’s time to find a picture and make it look “nice.” Then I want to see what everyone else came up with for the theme, so I scroll for 15 more minutes before I get back to my “real” to do list. Not that spending some time on myself is a bad thing, but an hour out of each weeknight is, well, a lot. And I noticed after the first two weeks that my zest for the daily activity was fading from a “want to” to a “have to”.
Hence why I’ve abandoned my previous ideas and will keep my weekly post short and sweet. Instead, I’m spending more time this evening with my husband and pup watching who knows what on TV instead of crafting the “perfectly timed” post. As we speak, my 8 year old Weimaraner is blissfully snoozing on my lap.
I’m also really proud of these 5 haikus I’ll share below. I love haikus because they, too, are short and sweet, yet full of beautiful odes to nature in their traditional Japanese form. Haikus also combine two of my most favorite things: writing and math!
Left by Day, Write by Night 