Turn The Page

Learning and page-turning…

I remember when my husband and I played board games with our sons and how there were many routes to the Candy Land or Monopoly finish line. They all chose their individual ways. Today, I’m planted in my chair. I’m determined to write what comes from my heart about a subject that hits close to home. Change. I’ve asked myself a million questions about what matters most in life. Many sleepless nights later, one has me speechless and backed against a wall. How will I know when it’s time to close one door or chapter in life and turn the page to start another? The only thing left for me to do is answer in my outside voice for all the world to hear.

What’s the story?

I’ve never embraced drastic change or make paramount decisions without agonizing over unwritten scenarios for a few days, weeks, or months. Prince Dennis—AKA my know-it-all husband–has said, “Make a decision and move on. Don’t look back.” My answer is usually something like: “Easy for you to say when you’re not doing the deciding.” Therapists and scholars call it fear of the unknown. I say I don’t want to look back at a pile of regrets.

If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

Wayne Dyer

My next chapter

When I think about what I’d like the next chapter of my life to look like, I’m reminded of how life, like a series of cause-and-effect scenes and chapters, has a way of helping people like me in the decision-making department. If it’s fun, I’m in. Not fun? I might have a hard time navigating in deeper waters. Emotion is a huge part of my story. I need to find meaning, joy, and maybe even serendipity in what I did yesterday, will do today, or strive to reach for tomorrow.

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers and desert.”

Isaiah 43:19 ESV

Though thoughtful and selfless, Prince D is more pragmatic. Deliberate. Steady. I want to play. He wants to work. Is it any wonder at one time or another, I may or may not have referred to his sense of adventure as boring? Over the years, we’ve compromised on the work/play ratio. Now that our children are grown, we spend more time laughing about the times we agreed to disagree on what we wanted our next chapter in life to look like. God always knew both our heart’s desires. Although bumpy and messy at times, his wild plan was the best way, all along.


Life has a way of preparing us for upcoming seasons and the next chapter in our story.

What matters most

Since the day we married, Dennis and I always said we’d retire somewhere in the mountains where he could work less, I’d retire from the spa-girl business to focus on and pursue my writing dreams, and we’d paint and sketch landscapes a few times a week. We vacationed in various locations in Tennessee, Virginia, and Western North Carolina throughout our thirty-two years together. I’ll never forget the look on Dennis’s face several years ago when we stood on a mountain peak in North Georgia. “I believe we’ll live in this area someday.” I wanted to believe him, but circumstances gave me a trillion reasons to doubt.

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams

Eleanor Roosevelt

When I say we were busy, I mean overdrive busy. Football practice. Church. Work. Caretaking and visiting ill parents, etc. I didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to know the dream was a long way off…like light-years (or forever) away. If we lived to see the day. Life’s ups and downs taught us it isn’t where you live, play, or work. What matters most is doing it together. Today we can say we’ve made it through times of sickness, health, poverty, and plenty. The adventure is crazy.

Children and writers agree

Seasoned writers agree to disagree about story structure or how they meander or race to get to the end of their tales. Creatives of all genres and our now grown children might agree, however bumpy, the path they chose worked for them. They did whatever they could to get to their destination. However, most writers still ask themselves: How do we compel our readers to turn the page?

More than ink on a page

We obsess or cheer our readers on and hope they get there—before we lose our minds. Whether dramatic, mysterious, witty, or tragic, the first pages and chapters must be active. Many mimic life’s rollercoaster ride. They hook and move us onward on fantastical journeys—or fall flat in the process. Upon further study, I’ve come to see how magical tales evolve from the mundane—err, or subjective—white bread-ish plots. Wherein breathe and heartbeats sustain life, when activity and power infuse sentences, they grow and flow and come alive from dust. Some stories take on a life of their own. After all, it’s more than ink on a page that compels one to turn and move on.  


Life is so much more than ink on a page. Our finite minds can’t comprehend what can come alive from a blizzard or dust.

Turn the page

December 2020: Dennis and I celebrated a white Christmas in our tiny Western North Carolina cabin. He lit the fire. I melted into the cozy blankety abyss that resembled our couch—Just us and our two puppy girls—enjoying the incredible scenery, wildlife…and long-awaited quiet. “It’s time, baby.” He leaned in and wiped a joy-filled tear from my eye.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV

Dear friends,

Are you thawing out from winter’s deep freeze and looking forward to the warmth of springtime? The long-awaited carnival of color and scent is on its way! Daffodils, hyacinths, pansies, and beds of tulips usher in longer days. Have you ever questioned when it’s time to close one door or chapter in life, and turn the page to open or start another? If your answer is yes, I’m so glad I’m in good company!

I pray the scriptures, quotes, and images I’ve included in this post inspire you to seek a closer relationship with our creator of all seasons and to be a blessing to others on this ever-changing journey we call life.

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the Inspire A Fire comments section below this post. Read all my IAF stories here, click a few highlighted links throughout this story, or check out my Dreamdove’s Flights of Fancy blog here. Wishing you good health, joy, and strength to know when to turn the page and move on to your next—and unwritten—chapter.

Joann

Special Thanks: All Free images courtesy of PIXABAY:

Feature image by Sebastien Marty. G1TL image by Jill Wellington, TC image by mpmd2009, TR image by Free-Photos. Bottom image by StockSnap. Large single image by Mylene2401. G2TL image by Free-Photos, TC image by Pexels, TR image by congerdesign. Bottom image by S.Hermann & F. Richter. Large single image by nile.

Joann Claypoole

Joann Claypoole is an author, speaker, and former spa-girl entrepreneur. She's a wife, mother of four sons, “Numi” to four grandchildren, doggie-mom of two. The award-winning author of The Gardener’s Helper’s (ages 5-9 MJ Publishing2015) would rather be writing, hiking in the mountains, or inviting deer and other wildlife to stay for dinner near her western NC writing retreat. Visit her website: joannclaypoole.com and WordPress blog: https://joannclaypoole.wordpress.com/

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