I want to start my Sunday Musings Blog with a post most appropriately about reading and writing.

As a child I lived in a world of fantasy ~ very little was based in reality, even walking down the street was akin to dancing on a cloud! This could well have been a response to the hardship my parents and I experienced as post WW2 refugees. In the refugee camps in Germany my parents clung together with fear and courage, in our new country they clung together with hope and strength, and through it all I created a happy little world for myself.

When I started to read my fantasy world literally exploded. I discovered reading about the age of eight, probably a little later than most because we were a non-English speaking household. But when I did, I recall voraciously devouring Treasure Island, Robin Hood, Black Beauty, The Secret Garden ~ to this day all magnificent treasures. It was so exciting to be in the world of pirates and the merry men of Sherwood Forest! I will never forget reading about the tussle between Robin Hood and Little John as they battled it out back and forth on a log perched across the river. In my mind’s eye I experienced every step backwards and forwards until Little John ended up in the drink. And Black Beard with the wooden leg and a parrot on his shoulder; even though I was a girl, he was an amazing character for an eight year old! Then I read Black Beauty and my heart opened in a way that I’d never felt before. Yes, the magic world of words was now part of who I was and something I would never again be able to do without.

My urge to write didn’t surface until my high school days. I remember writing many beginnings, some of which are still firmly planted in my brain … ‘An occasional breeze stirred the desert sand’ … ‘I looked around and knew without a doubt that I was lost’ … but I never moved much beyond first sentences, though I do recall the very strong yearning to become a journalist one day. However life got in the way, and my writing really only began when I turned 40 years of age. A friend gave me a beautiful book with empty pages and I started journaling, and what an in depth experience that was! I began to delve into my thoughts and feelings in a way that was truly profound.

At the time my experiences were highly emotionally charged and life changing due to a serious accident, which I will talk about at another time. I much prefer to identify with what I’ve learned and to focus on the joy of life. However, suffice to say that as a result I was examining my philosophies, beliefs, and my fears, and I poured it all out on paper. And so began years of intense journaling ~ words which both astounded and supported me through the highs and lows of a determined battle to get better. I continued until I reached a place where my fears were laid to rest, where I was at peace within my soul, and where my heart was truly open.

Today my greatest joy is to feel inspired, to act with inspiration and to inspire others.  Perhaps my words born from the experience of past despair, perseverance, determination, insight, joy and love can do just that! And so with the greatest excitement, I conclude this first offering.

Inara Hawley © 2012