Henneke, it’s wonderful to receive your feedback! Your paragraphs teach me a new way of thinking, and a better way of writing. Thank you 🙂
And now for today’s opening paragraph. For Tuesday’s paragraph, I knew what I wanted to write. But today I wasn’t so sure. So I looked at the list of ideas from module 2.
I wanted to challenge myself, and then I ran into a problem: what do I do when the post is a review, or an interview?
The benefit of these posts is harder to define…
Reviews and interviews don’t always come as a solution to a problem. Sometimes they try to offer insight and inspiration.
The book review I wrote about following Ezra (module 3) is a good example. I didn’t like the original opening paragraph, but I wasn’t sure how I can change it.
So I looked at the post, and found, among the lines, questions I added during module 3. Questions that relate to Sharon. I think they made it clearer for me what’s the insight I want my post to leave in Sharon’s mind.
And then I started writing my opening paragraph…
Here it is:
Sometimes you just don’t get it.
You know how life has these moments that you don’t understand? Those times, and hardships, that seem to have no meaning at all?
There’s a heavy sensation in your chest that keeps you up at night. A fog of uncertainty surrounds you, and all you can do is look down at your feet, and take one step at a time. If you can move at all.
Well, isn’t it true that over the months and years, many moments get their meaning?
When you finally understand why did it all happen?
One event can clear up the fog that was there for weeks, or months, or long, long years. You finally see the gray, meaningless string of events in full color.
Those colors shine brighter than the sun.
Today I want to tell you about a book called Following Ezra. It’s relatively new, and was published in the US in 2011. As far as I know, there’s no Hebrew translation.
The author, Tom Fields-Meyer, is writing about 10 years of his family’s life, since his son Ezra was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 3.
You’ll find many events he’s describing familiar from your journey with your own child.
And he gives you the perspective of time, while weaving seemingly small moments into a big net of meaning.
His journey can help you find the meaning in your journey with your child.
…
This was a super-important exercise in finding the true need/problem I address in my post.