Sunday, April 10, 2011

Healing Through Writing



People write for various reasons, possess different motivation for putting pen to paper and the reasons vary as much as the words tumbling from the respective authors head. For me this blog began as a means to soothe the pain after the passing of Erin and my desire to shed some light on what was an incredible journey. One can resort to alcohol, drugs or any other means to cope with the loss of a loved one but none of those options were very appealing to me on a long-term basis and also I felt none of these served my recently departed in a honorable manner.

 I considered it my obligation to write anything and everything about Erin as a means to connect with her on an entirely different level. The more words about her life and our years together that could be scribbled down the better, nothing were too personal or sacred to be jotted down and that included the final 36 hours of her life. That period was the first piece written as it was fresh in my mind and while it was very painful to recount, I wanted to document every intimate detail for futures sake so tearfully I poured the words onto the pages. Reading about Erin's final scene in life is very difficult thus the leather journal lies in a desk drawer where it could sit dormant for the remainder of my years but it served a great purpose as being the first step on the path to healing.

Soon after came an idea of a children's picture book featuring Erin and several spiral notebooks littered with scrap pieces of papers are the foundation of that vision. Pages of revision after revision, numerous sketches and notes of constructive criticism are proof of the labor of love but as of late that goal has been sidetracked as the blog has received the majority of my attention. To see my fur-angel depicted in print for children would be the ultimate tribute and hopefully one day that dream will become a reality. It's really therapeutic to envision Erin on the over-sized pages of kiddie books all around the globe and one of my aims in life is to make that vision a reality.

During the writing process of the children's book came the idea of a blog about Erin's life and while I knew absolutely nothing about the process of how a blog works, there was no denying one would be set up in tribute of her. The result has been beyond my wildest imagination as sharing stories from her past has been so soothing while received feedback has been nothing but positive in every aspect. It's been my pleasure and honor to reveal glimmers into her life and the years we shared together, she led an extraordinary life in many ways and her story is too special to not be spread via the internet and other means. So many people have responded favorably to tales of Erin while opening up about their own life struggles so there's been a great sense of healing for all involved.

Pouring my heart out about Erin is gratifying in so many ways, sharing her stories has allowed me to release some of the emotional pain I'm saddled with and the healing benefits has exceeded my wildest imagination. "Erin is Love" has been a worthwhile endeavor and I'm so thankful for the opportunity to touch hearts around the globe with my words. Looking back, I've come a long way in terms of both my writing skills and internal angst, seems I'm a totally different person than the one who started this blog many months ago. The writing process has made the journey to my final destination much easier and I'm so grateful for this opportunity to share her story. Thank you to all who have embraced Erin's tale and continue to support me along the path to healing!!!!


"The reason one writes isn't the fact he wants to say something. He writes because he has something to say." ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald

8 comments:

  1. Unconditional love : ) It's really nice you care about Erin so much.

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  2. David I am glad you didn't resort to any of the wrong things to overcome your grief, instead you chose to write about your extraordinary friend and companion.It is the best tribute you could have given Erin. I am glad I came visiting your blog and look forward to all your posts. God bless. I hope someday soon you will start a children's book featuring Erin.

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  3. Hi! You've been added to my Blog-A-Licious library! Do keep your great posts coming! And do come have a look at the other Blog-A-Licious Blogs.
    Cheers - Dora
    http://blogaliciousblogs.blogspot.com/

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  4. I am a big dog lover and can't wait to read more about your furry angel. R.I.P. Erin.

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  5. It's so refreshing to see how positive you are about Erin and her life even through your personal pain. I hope you can publish a book about her. I bet a lot of adults would love it too, not just kids. You inspire us to deal with our painful emotions in a positive way. Please keep it up!

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  6. I hope your dream for the book will come true. That would be awesome!

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  7. Thank you to everyone who left comments, it means alot to me as I move on in life without Erin. Your continued interest in my angel is a major reason for my keeping this blogup and running. Look forward to publishing more posts and hopefully bring my book ideas to light. Thanks again!!

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  8. David, your story is absolutely beautiful. I know that when we loose our beloved friends, they are never far from us. I cried with you when I read this, as it brings back the memory of my beloved Echo who passed almost a year ago. I still feel her presence, and yet Buttons, who came into my life filled the void with her unconditional love. I believe, they come to take care of us and when they leave, we re a better person for having shared in their love. Bless you and Erin...please come and visit my blog at http://ravenmyth.blogspot.com
    I am now a follower....

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