Chasing Rainbows

I recently interrupted one of my dad’s complaint streaks to call him an Eeyore. It gave him pause and a good chuckle. Admittedly, I’m not much different. Sometimes, it takes me a tad too long to discover the positives.

I have a teammate across the hall who is always able to find a rainbow. It’s a strength she brings to our crew, and I recently named her my optimism mentor. Just the other day, I decided to go chasing my own rainbows.

After a series of quick-paced information writing lessons, writers were ready to celebrate. They had excitedly created three information books and were invited to read one on Flipgrid (a tool our fourth graders are loving this year).

Due to our hybrid model and winter break, more than two weeks had passed since I had my eyes on these books. I knew there were p l e n t y of edits and revisions to be made, but I also knew how refreshing the energy had felt in the room when we shifted writing genres. When I visited our celebration Flipgrid, my eyes couldn’t focus on any writing flaws. I mean, I actually did not have the opportunity to look at the writing. What I did see were joyful writers confidently sharing about their topics of expertise and a few illustrations. I got to giggle at their presentation quirks and listen for rainbows.

I heard a writer who asked and answered questions. I heard a writer who painted a picture with his words. I heard writers who included examples and how-to steps. There was even a writer who used humor! When I was forced to “close” my eyes to the flaws, true celebration commenced:

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I left each writer a compliment on their Flipgrid post.

To my fellow Eeyores roaming the world. . .I see you. Let’s find more rainbows together in the months ahead!

I’m joining an open community of writers over at Sharing Our Stories: Magic in a Blog. If you write (or want to write) just for the magic of it, consider this your invitation to join us. #sosmagic