There are plenty of things I want.
I want to be rich enough to have that guy on Animal Planet come build a writing space tree house in my backyard. I want to be a healthy size without having to exercise or diet. I want to have perfectly fitting cool clothes that I don’t have to go anywhere to buy. I want to snuggle cheerful little round babies and give them back to their parents when I’ve had my fill. I want to sleep in every morning until I just wake up. I want thick hair. I want no worries. I want to beat all those stupid levels on the Bubble Witch 2 Saga. I want a maid, a cook and a chauffeur. I want the Holodeck from Star Trek Next Generation in my basement. I want to see my books on the bestseller list.
I could go on, but you get the gist. I have a lot of wants that I am not likely to get.
There are also things that I need. These aren’t as grandiose or silly. They aren’t even as fun. My needs are what I must have to function through the everydays of my life. They go beyond the basic food, water, air and shelter that all living creatures are required to have.
Right now, at this particular point in my life, I need to make sure my daughter is getting the education she should have. I need to feel loved and appreciated. I need to accomplish something each day. I also need to write.
Besides being needs, these things are also my struggles.
Homeschooling my girl is a crazy, wonderful experience and I doubt my choices all the time. I also know that my family loves me, even when there are times that the appreciation part of it seems non-existent. And some days doing the laundry is the only thing I get done.
But writing is different. My need to put down these stories that find their way into my brain isn’t the same sort of need as I just described. It’s more of a tapping on the shoulder that won’t leave me alone.
I have to write.
The struggle here is that those stupid levels on Bubble Witch keep calling to me too. HA!
This post is part of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group (IWSG) blog hop where writers work to support and encourage each other on the first Wednesday of each month. You can click the image or link above to find more musings from other writers.
The group was founded and is led by our captain, Alex J. Cavanaugh and his comrades in arms. This month they are:Elizabeth Seckman, Lisa Buie-Collard, Chrys Fey, andMichelle Wallace!
Leanne Ross Read Faced 
I totally want one of those treehouses, too! Maybe you and your daughter could have “writing time” together daily? If you set aside an hour where you each work independently on a writing project, you could share you work at the end or something like that. I’m not sure her age, so that might not work, but if she can write independently, it just might work for you both.
Oh yeah. My daughter is wonderful at coming up with story ideas. We brainstorm with each other all the time. She just isn’t as keen as I am to get her words out of her brain & onto some paper. I think she would definitely tell that’s not one of HER needs.
I used to wish I could have one of those little writing cottages constantly advertised in writing magazines (or at least they used to be.) Or a guest house (hahaha), where I could sequester myself. Or enough money to disappear to a hotel room somewhere lovely and inspirational. I hope you get all your needs and at least some of your wants this year.
Even some alone time would be nice. It seems I am the cog that keeps this wheel of a family moving. It is nice to be a necessity, but it does cut into writing time.
I have a Trivia Crack addiction to contend with, so I understand the pull of games!
High fives to you for home schooling. I never had the guts (I am a disorganized procrastinator and would have been the detriment to my children!), but I have friends who did it and they have some of the smartest kids.
And hey, I always figured if the kids were alive by then end of the day, I did my job. If I got l the laundry done too, well, I figure I should get a trophy for that!
Hear! Hear! There should be laundry trophies. I think I’ll write my congressman.