For Them

Slice of Life '25 1 Minute
Oh, hi, baby girl. What are you trying to say?

I see your thumb-sucking rhythm slow down a bit, and I wonder if you fell asleep again.
The gentle echoes of the white noise form a soothing tune, framing this precious moment of being fully awake while you still lay in your crib.

I open the laptop to read a few slices. The roaches, her body reflection, another deer, a cheering incident, her washing dishes routine, another birthday girl… all moments I feel so honored to witness through the writing of this community.

I read, laugh, comment, and scroll to the next. Adventures, discoveries, memories threaded by words and craft moves I long to learn.

I start a mental checklist of all my colleagues who I convinced to join this challenge and how I want to make an effort to comment on all 17 of them today!

I read, sigh, comment, stay on her post a bit longer. I imagine keeping her company through the screen—holding space for her words, her loss, her new reality.

I read, smile, comment, hit the “like” button because I really, really liked it.

With every slice, I feel a string connecting me to their lives, a mix of warmth and longing. I don’t know many of them, but what if she could fly down to Miami to have some coffee? Would we talk about life or mostly writing?

I read, nod, comment, agree. Yes, cellphone use in schools also takes up space in my head, mostly because I wonder how Elena will deal with it when she’s older.

I pause my reading, switch tabs, and express my gratitude sentence after sentence. Quick, hush, go. I want to go back and get to Molly’s slices which I’m sure will come with gorgeous photos. I also want to catch up with Jessica’s slices because I see there are part 2 and 3!

I open tabs to their blogs, lining them up on my browser as a way to remind myself they are there. Both Fran’s, Trish, Denise, Terje, Becky, Beth’s poems!

What a community to be part of. Thanks Elena for giving me these few morning minutes to write for them.

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Published by Ana Valentina Patton

I aim to be a learner, not a knower. If I forget, please remind me.

Published

15 thoughts on “For Them”

  2. This is exactly how I feel when I’m scrolling through and trying to comment on as many as possible, although I don’t have a sleeping child nearby and I don’t keep quite as many tabs open as you do. Such a fun read and yes, reading is as much fun as writing a slice!

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Ana, what a lovely, peaceful post. I found myself able to breathe along with Elena, with the white noise backdrop, as I read each word. Your appreciation of the teacher/writers in this space is palpable. Thank you for sharing the love with so many of your friends and colleagues. What a leader you are.

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  7. You capture the joy of this challenge so beautifully. I say that, of course, with another twelve tabs to visit. =)

    And now, your blog gets to be a part of the fabric of my day, and my life as well. How amazing is that!?

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  9. What aa beautiful slice. I especially liked this line, “all moments I feel so honored to witness through the writing of this community.” It’s so true. We should all feel honored that people have let them in their lives. And as you also said, we are all then connected in some way.

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  11. This is beautiful. It so well captures the community that is being built here. This is my first year doing this challenge, but I plan to continue it. It’s a great reminder that our words are important, as are the small moments in our lives.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Love this, the photos that accompany it, the hurried pace, and the desire to visit each and every post before a new day brings a repeating cascade of connection. Just happy to be on your radar. That feels like enough. (And I hope it’s enough for those whom I fail to visit every day I’d like to.) Sleep well, Elena. Cell phones are a nightmare for another time.)

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  14. A beautiful tribute slice to this community. It is amazing how we can come to know one another through writing and even tune in to hear more, knowing what they may write about.

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