Writing As Pilgrimage

This week I’ve seen three pileated woodpeckers, two red-tailed Hawks, a cardinal, a red-bellied woodpecker, blue jays, a tufted titmouse, and Carolina chickadees. I watch them at the back yard feeder from the dining room window while I drink my morning cup of tea.

I’ve loved bird watching since I was a little girl. I learned about the birds of eastern North Carolina in the third grade, and I drew them with colored pencils—bluebirds, blue jays, cardinals, and brown thrashers. During that same winter, my Dad built a bird feeder for me and placed it on the window ledge outside of the dining room. Dad’s favorite bird was the blue jay, Mama’s was the cardinal, and mine was the Eastern blue bird. I was most fascinated that winter by the slate colored juncos that Dad called snowbirds, as they only came to the feeder when it snowed.

Watching the birds is the beginning of my morning pilgrimage, my journey into the everyday sacred. It serves as a daily reminder that finding something sacred in my every day helps me to remain connected with an energy that is larger than myself. It keeps me connected with my past and gives me hope for my future. Finding the sacred in the every day deepens my writing practice.

Writing itself is an act of pilgrimage. The sacred journey of writing from life, or writing our inner thoughts, can teach us about deep listening. It can lead us on an inward spiritual journey toward understanding the very nature of our souls. Our spirits are hungry for meaning. Writing from life, writing our inner thoughts, makes meaning of what we experience, and this can utterly transform us.

When we listen deeply to ourselves, we hear our own unique authentic voice. This is the voice of the soul. When we listen to the soul, our stories come forth freely. Our job as writers is to be quiet, listen, and transcribe the stories that are already inside of us. In doing so, we allow the stories of our past to be told without judgment, and we make room for the creation of the stories of our future.

Take 15 minutes out of your day today. Choose a spot where you will not be interrupted, and take some time to listen to your inner thoughts. Let yourself begin to know your authentic voice. Write what you hear.