Goodnight Stress

Hello friends and fellow bloggers, especially those from the Slice of Life Story Challenge hosted by http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/. I’ve had a rough few weeks, and this week did not get off to a great start either. I usually try and work on my blog over the weekend and then polish it on Monday. Due to the (what feels like) millions of other things I had to do, I had not started my blog or even read a children’s book to feature this week as of 6 PM on Monday night. I did what I always do when I feel overwhelmed- I called my mom. She told me what I already knew but still needed to hear: let things go. Easier said than done, but lucky for me, I have a weekly blog that is a perfect place to get things out of my system.

So, this week’s children’s book is the beloved Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. I do not have a particular passage from the book that inspired me. Instead, the whole book inspired me to write, “Goodnight Stress,” my adult version of Goodnight Moon (which is also a roundabout ode to mothers). Amazingly, I do not have a copy of Goodnight Moon, so I looked online for the text to it. While looking, I ran across this website that had arranged Goodnight Moon like a poem, which I recommend reading: http://poetryforchildren.tripod.com/poetryforchildren/id18.html. I used her arrangement, so it is easier to read.

That’s it for me this week. If you’re having a rough time, I highly recommend writing your own adult Goodnight Moon poem. I felt much better by the end of it.  Hope everyone enjoys it and happy writing! ‘

PS- I apologize about the spacing! I couldn’t get it to stop the double spacing and too tired to figure it out….

Goodnight Stress

In a fine farm house

There was a nice woman

Trying to work out

All the anger and frustration

That is always about

And there were maddening guys thinking they’re wise

And paper all around

And deadlines abound

And mistakes being made

And nerves that are frayed

And clients, and a blog, and a mind that feels bogged

And a sweet mom who helps cut through the fog…

Goodnight house

Goodnight worries

Goodnight bad thoughts that tire me out

Goodnight anger and all the doubts

Goodnight guys thinking they’re wise

Goodnight stress and goodnight mess

Goodnight chores and goodnight scores

Goodnight briefs and lack of sleep

Goodnight fights and goodnight slights

Goodnight everyone and goodnight moods

And goodnight to my mom whose love is my truth

Goodnight worries, goodnight cares

Goodnight problems everywhere.

One of my favorite pictures of me and my mom- we are huge Detroit Tiger fans 🙂