After being asked by two friends on separate occasions how I “did it”, I realized I had a story to share. Writing about my journey with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder has been painful at times but the insights I have gained are incredibly rewarding. I now know my PTSD inside and out, and I am more secure in how I manage it than ever before.
I knew the process would be difficult. It’s not easy writing about the worst thing that has ever happened in your life as well as the struggles that followed. In order to write about the tough stuff, I decided I was going to write about whatever I felt like writing rather than sticking to a rigid, linear plan. I didn’t start at chapter one...I started somewhere in the middle...then I went back to the beginning...then back to the middle...then the end...then I filled in the blanks. The entire book was written by jumping back and forth between different sections.
The beautiful thing is when I chose what I wanted to write in that moment, the words came easily, like they were flowing from my mind down my arms to my hands and onto the keyboard. These moments felt meditative. My body felt relaxed as my hands were quickly typing out the thoughts. Even though the words were coming to me feverishly, the rest of me felt calm and peaceful. Sometimes, I’d be so engrossed in writing that I didn’t realize how much time had gone by. There were many times where even writing about difficult topics became a joy because the words streamed out of me so smoothly. I didn’t always know if what I was writing would fit into the book, and I didn’t always know how it would all come together. As I tackled each piece, eventually everything organically fit together like a puzzle. Not only was the process becoming a joy, but I began to fall in love with the words I was writing.
Even the title came to me easily. While in the car with my husband on the way to a weekend in Connecticut, I suggested coming up with potential book titles to help pass the time. The second I said, “hey, let’s think of titles for my book while we’re driving,” Peace With Trees came to mind. Immediately, I fell in love with the title. Luckily, my husband simply responded, “that works!”
I am incredibly grateful for Peace With Trees. Not only has it helped me with my PTSD but it also awakened a joy for writing. Once it’s on the bookshelves, I look forward to the next work that flows through me onto the page.
