This Is Not the End

Today is the last day of March, the last day of school before Spring Break, and, of course, the last day of the Slice of Life Story Challenge.

It is not, however, the end.

There is a new month waiting to greet us. There are still several weeks of school in which to teach, learn, and celebrate. There are still many days to write, though the writing will look and feel different, no doubt.

Over the last few weeks, I have had to stretch myself as a writer. Being naturally a planner, I found myself on many occasions having to operate as a "pantser" instead. It wasn't always a comfortable feeling. How many times did I hit that publish button before I felt ready? How many topics did I never write about because I just never had enough time to thoroughly think them through? The pressure of blogging daily kept me writing, but it wasn't always what I hoped for and the end result wasn't always what I imagined. Yet, I am proud that what I set out to do--write every day--was exactly what I accomplished. It isn't an easy task, as my fellow bloggers will attest.

A few days ago, I thought about all the ideas for blogs I had and knew I wasn't going to get to before the end of the challenge. That's when it hit me:  the challenge may be over, but this is not the end.

I can, and intend to, keep writing. Hopefully, on a daily basis, even though that publish button will no longer be demanding to be hit every day. Instead, it will wait patiently for me to decide when it's time. That's a comforting thought. All those topics I never got to, and all the ones I have yet to conceptualize, one day will have the opportunity to come to life on the written page. 

So, although I am sad to see the challenge come to a close and to lose the daily support of this community of writers, bound together by a common goal, I am also excited to see what tomorrow brings. 

This is not the end. It is only the beginning.