Unpolished

 I am finally reading Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg. I've had the book on my nightstand for long enough that it's sat in my "want to read" pile in two different houses. But, I am finally actually taking the time to reading. And, unsurprisingly, I love it. It's a collection of mini essays about writing and being a writer and it has already felt so applicable to my life not only as a writer but also as a pastor and preacher. One thing I am loving about the book is the writing exercises sprinkled throughout the chapters that challenge me to put down my book. They remind me to not just get stuck reading about writing - they make me actually pick up my pen and paper and start writing. 

Here is what I wrote with the prompt to begin with "I am a friend to..." and fill the list with only inanimate objects.

I am a friend to country roads and sunflowers and mountain sunsets. I am a friend to coffee shops and cold brew and fresh baked goods. I am a friend to the first crisp, cool mornings of fall when you have to break out a long sleeve shirt for the first time. I am a friend to apple orchards and cider doughnuts and all things pumpkin, although especially pumpkin bread and my Nana's pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

I am a friend to buttered bread with a little salt and soft pretzels. I am a friend to sweet potatoes and fresh apples and anything with peanut butter.

I am a friend to running routes without a lot of traffic and cars that make space for me. I am a friend to men that drive and don't catcall women. I am a friend to car naps and Sonic slushees and the promise or at least the hope of an early bedtime. 

I am a friend to bookshelves arranged by color and the joy of wandering through the stacks of the library. I am a friend to rainy afternoons spent snuggling inside under fuzzy blankets. I am a friend to hug attacks and anything that makes Abby smile. 

I am a friend to baby kicks and teeny-tiny baby clothes. I am a friend to Amazon deliveries and trips to Trader Joe's and other fancy grocery stores. 

I am a friend to relaxed days spent with family and the people I love. I am a friend to good books and mindless television and Buzzfeed quizzes, especially when there's something else I need to get done. I am a friend to Birkenstocks and mountain air and small towns that are still big enough to have good coffee shops. 

Most of all, I am a friend to this great, big, beautiful life and the gift of each new wild and precious day. 

Try the prompt yourself; what are you a friend to?