Creating the beginning of this story has been a really great experience, in part because it gave me the chance to write in a different medium and express my creativity in a different way. In doing so I got to envision parts of the characters’ world, describe in detail visuals like seasons, colors, and wardrobe and write some really fun dialogue.
In most romantic comedies, there’s that moment – sometimes awkward, sometimes funny, sometimes both – where the two main characters meet for the first time. In this week’s Valentine’s Day installment of Storytelling Love, that moment arrives. I hope you enjoy reading this scene as much as I did writing it.
So many conversations across areas of my life at the moment focus on how important it is to see people who look like us, share aspects of our identities and stories, and role model being unapologetically their authentic selves. Particularly timely this week is the number of out athletes at the Winter Olympics, and the great initiatives in different areas of sports around inclusivity.
And here we are in the month of Love. All at once the most powerful of emotions, a force so powerful that it has ended empires, influenced history, and become the inspiration for some of the most beloved stories of all time. It’s also something I can’t imagine my life without as the love I feel for and from others is a defining fuel source for my SPARK.
I am the mom of a teenager, and most days I can hardly believe it. The journey my daughter and I have been on has been an adventure from the beginning. Full of twists and turns, and joys and sorrows; the kind of thing that these stories are often filled with. Through it all, we have experienced so many emotions - delight, sadness, strength, frustration, perseverance, and resilience.