Words of Wisdom

I’m a thinker. I’ve always sat and pondered stuff. Sometimes it can be a bad thing. I clearly remember Mammy Byrne telling me on more than one occasion that I think too much. It didn’t stop me.

I’ve always loved writing my thoughts down. Before my children came along I used to send their Dad cards regularly. In these cards I would write my thoughts, my hopes, my dreams, my fears. When my babies arrived I had less time. Less time to think about what I was thinking. I was busy doing. I still managed to find the time to write letters to them. I stored these letters away with their baby books so that when they are older and I’ve forgotten some of the finer details they’ll be able to read about the joy and happiness that their arrival brought to our home.

Since returning to college the amount of time that I have for writing has decreased. So, I started blogging. I have found that not only am I recording some of the precious memories that my children are making; I’m also revisiting memories from my own childhood. My two lovelies get a great kick out of reading what mammy did next. They find it fascinating to learn that not only was mammy a child once but she was sometimes (ok most times) not a very well-behaved one.

These blogs have provided many moments of laughter. They have created new links and bonds between Mammy Byrne, my lovely sister and myself. Mammy Byrne enjoys reading them and putting me straight on the details and facts that I may have omitted in a bid to paint myself in a better light. My sister is great at remembering different incidents and is usually the inspiration behind each new blog.

Me, I just love to be able to write. It’s a terrific way to unwind.

While I have a store of memories and ideas that could keep me writing for weeks I do try to create blogs that don’t cause hurt or embarrassment. I like to write about my experiences and what I’ve learnt from them but there are times when I have to stop the words spilling on to the page and ask myself why this particular story? Am I writing this for enjoyment, because others will find it interesting or am I writing it so I can use my words as a weapon?

As Mammy Byrne always used to say, be very careful what you write down on a page for all to see, you never know when it will bite you in the bum! Words have the potential to wound, in this day and age we need to use them wisely. Digital media means our words will still be knocking around long after we have forgotten them.