I was a teen of the 60s and 70s. “We’re the best, beat by none, Sr. class of ’71.” It was a crazy time but we all lived and breathed by inspirational posters. Well, and rock/movie star posters. There’s one that I still remember. There was a graceful hand lifted toward the sky. A butterfly hovered on one fingertip. The caption read: If you love something, let it go free. If it comes back to you, it’s yours. If it doesn’t, it never really was. I can’t tell you the number of broken hearts that poster got me through. It’s a thought that more often than not also turns up in some form in some of my books. When I opened a recent message from the Universe, it immediately came to mind.

No one loses anything, Silver, that doesn’t eventually come back.

Love, grins, and horseshoes –
The Universe
©www.tut.com

P.S. And usually, Silver, it comes back bigger, better, and zippier.

In addition to the inspirational quote, it also struck me that the Big U might also be speaking to the hearts of us writers. I can’t speak for all of us but I can for myself and I know how some others feel. Writer’s Block is a real thing and it walks hand-in-hand with Imposter Syndrome. Neither is fun and both happen far more often than most of us like. Writer’s Block happens when we start to doubt our story. Imposter Syndrom happens when we doubt ourselves.

I don’t know of any writer who hates telling stories. Our imaginations are ingrained in our DNA. I have a meme that says “Anyone can be a writer, writers can’t be anything else.” Even when we think we can’t write, the ideas are still there nudging and pushing until we start writing again. This is the difference between my teen poster and the Universe. Writers don’t lose what we’ve set free. It comes back to us, for better or worse. The ideas, the characters, the compulsion to tell the story. It may take a while, and sometimes we might need to go look for it, but the desire will return bigger, better, and zippier.

This is a subject I know a lot about. I’ve been struggling for two years now, ever since the health situation that almost took my life. It’s been hard but the Universe’s message hit home this week. I’m waiting for the love, grins, and even the horseshoes. It’s getting closer. If I close my eyes, I can sense it hovering out there just out of reach. In the meantime, I’ve quit beating myself up if I don’t write and I celebrate when I do. There’s hope. And we shall survive.