In this month’s First Tuesday, let’s look back on 2024.
What happened in the past year that you feel proud of?
It doesn’t have to be anything big. We just want to know about moments that caused you to stand a little taller, shoulders back, chin tilted up.
One of my proud moments was in December when I learned how to milk a cow.
If you need proof, here’s a video that shows me in action.
So you see, it really doesn’t have to be anything of significance, just something you felt good about.
After a brief brainstorm, pick one of the items from your list and write your story. Then, please share it with us in the comments section below.
Remember always, the only way to do this wrong is to not do it at all!
I just joined today. Is the 2024 accomplishment the topic we’re supposed to be using?
Wow. Lots of good stories here. Adding mine, but its not edited yet.
Kit, you have a great deal to be proud of here. Not only have you demonstrated a new skill, but you rose above your stage fright to give joy to your audience and credit to your teacher. And now you’ve written a charming story about the experience! I especially enjoyed the description of your self talk. Three cheers!
I appreciate your feedback, Terry!
Here is my story.
So many marvelous milestones in 2024! You are my role model and inspiration. Wishing you an excellent agent in 2025 – your story is worth the best.
Etya, you are an inspiration and give me the incentive to keep plugging away at my writing. I share your passion for writing.
I know you do, David. I love everything you’ve written. You need to expose yourself more to writing opportunities. Doors do not open unless you knock.
I’m Proud of That prompt.
I’m impressed by your energy, Nancy! I enjoyed your story, especially the travelogue as you went from town to parkland and back. The struggle to make the app show your true achievement was a nice touch of humor. Great job, and congratulations on helping such a worthy cause.
Great story and a great cause. Congratulations.
Remarkable story, Nancy. Great cause! I hope all of the money you raised benefits the kids with cancer!
Nancy, I am exhausted just thinking about cycling all that distance. Good for you girl.
My story from First Tuesday prompt.
This is a delightful story, Judy. I love all the telling details – your mother carefully sharing out the ice cream, your excitement at seeing your piece in print – and your pride in being published. Your story shows how the senses are one of our strongest connections to memory, so there’s even a little writing lesson hidden in there as well. Great job.
That’s a great memory. Ice cream is my favorite treat; I look forward to it just like you did all those years ago. There were days when a little meant a lot
Absolutely, Judy! You can call yourself a writer. You are a published author.
Congratulations on your story being published! I love the way you tell this story. A story within a story.
You had me at ice cream and Hersey syrup. What a treat to read your piece Judy. I felt the excitement you felt upon seeing your work in print. Congratulations.
I Remember was a great piece.
You darn well are a writer!
Thanks Dave, I always appreciate your kind words.
Thanks for the supportive comments. I appreciate it. I’m also going to invest some time later reading your stories. Can’t wait to.
my submission.
This is a super story. I felt everything along with you and the vet. You make them more human. Something everyone needs to do. It also is so sad that they gave everything and are so easily forgotten
Dave, your story is spellbinding. I loved every word, and the description is beautiful! I feel an extreme bond with American Veterans, especially those who fought in the Vietnam War. The way the country treated them upon their return is inexcusable. All they did was answer a call to duty and put their lives on the frontline so those who did not fight could have their freedom.
Your story reminds us how important volunteerism is for veterans. I like the end of your story where you speculate what this man may have done for his country.
Thank you, Dave, for writing this piece, and for your time spent volunteering and honoring our Veterans. It’s so moving and gets at the core of what’s truly important. Everyone wants to be heard, seen, understood, and loved.
Very emotional story Dave. Veterans are part of a community only they can understand. Thanks for sharing.
David, this is an amazing piece. Thanks for sharing it. I never gave much thought to the world a veteran lives in after returning home from whatever service or wherever they served. I hope you are writing more about this. We all need to hear more, so we can appreciate the service given by the dedicated men and women who stand by our flag and support our country.
Like Dar, I get a bit squeamish about tooting my own horn, but I thought this accomplishment was worth celebrating.
Terry, I loved your story the first time you read it. You added new lines. I love how you ended it! Your knitting is beautiful since I had the privilege of seeing the placemats.
Here’s another try to post the photo …
These are lovely, impressive!
They look perfect!
Thank you! I like doing my first draft by hand and then editing as I transcribe to a computer file. I’m happy to report that I have washed and blocked three of the six placemats. I only have enough blocking foam to do three at a time, and I almost ran out of pins (see attached photo; you can see the empty pincushion and pin box in the background)! I’m posting this again because the photo dropped off for some reason, so forgive me if this lands in your email box twice.
My sister-in-law did blocking, needlepoint, etc. After watching her I knew that hobby was not for me. Cudos to you for pressing forward on the project. There’s always next Christmas.
Thanks, Judy! I’m hoping to have the project done for Ellen’s birthday, which is Monday. I’m halfway there!
Boy, that’s quite a project! I don’t know what blocking is but my hope for you is that you can finish it. Let us know what happens.
I attached a photo to my response to Etya’s comment, so you can get an idea. Blocking involves washing a piece of work – knitting, needlepoint, or whatever – and then pinning it while damp to a sturdy backing. In this case, I used a set of interlocking foam pieces. The idea is to pin it down in the shape it should be, as handwork tends to warp while you’re working on it. As the piece dries, it will hold the form. Three down, three to go …
This is great. I’ll loved your similies; “like a jackdaw…” and “Christmas tsunami…”
You give me hope. Maybe I’ll restart that CD based drawing class I “suspended” after three sessions.
Thank you, David! I hope you re-engage with your drawing course, at least if it gives you pleasure. I’m at the stage now when I’m aware that my time is not limitless, but handwork gives me such pleasure and peace that I have to prioritize it right up there with writing.
Good for you Terry.
I love this, Terry. Your crafts and the ins and outs of beginning and completing a project are metaphors for my writing process. Like you, I love what I do when I write, but I often lose the momentum to push through to a satisfactory conclusion. I set deadlines and then break them. I make excuses and then I justify the reasons something didn’t pan out. Hope your friend gets her Christmas/Birthday gift. 🙂
Thank you! I have every intention of getting them done by Monday, which is her birthday. I’ve always felt a little sad for people whose birthdays are close to Christmas, but in this case it works to my advantage!
Hi Terry. This accomplishment was certainly worth celebrating. I would love to see pictures of the placemats you made. I’m glad I’m not the only one with many projects tucket away, unfinished. I could relate to your entire piece. How you got behind then had to double up on your efforts. How you sometimes had to work without the best lighting, and I know how tiring that can be. I glad you had many moments of peaceful work. Thank you for sharing.
Here’s a photo I took today of the first three on the blocking board – all I had space and pins for! Hopefully, you can see the details, at least of the one closest to me and my phone.
They’re exquisite Terry! Your friend is going to be thrilled.
I’m Proud of That
What a beautiful bond you share with your granddaughter. Your story is full of love and hope. I was touched by your description of the ongoing crises of Jen’s journey and the ways you have risen to meet every challenge. You are blessed to have each other.
Oh, Linda. I feel for you. Getting through a transplant is tough. I have a friend who went through a kidney transplant. it took her body a few years to adjust to the new organ. I hope Jen returns to normal soon and her new liver benefits her. Sending you love and hugs. You are a great support to your granddaughter!
You are an amazing grandmother. It was wonderful Jen felt she could reach out to you for help, your bond that developed over the years has taken hold. I hope Jen recovers to live a full life.
You are a wonderful person Linda.
She is lucky to have you.
You’re a good Grandma Linda.
My story from prompt . . . What I’m Proud of “I’m heading into the Sales’ Office and I’m probably going to be asking a lot of questions, so if you want to poke around the square go ahead,” Peter explained. We laugh about this exchange because it’s so typical of my husband to ask tons of questions. After a while of poking, I got a phone call from Peter, “Raquel,” he gushed. “There is someone I want you to meet. She’s willing to show us houses.” Back at the rental property on Ulmer Terrace, southeast of Lake Sumter Landing,… Read more »
Good story, Raquel! It flows smoothly. It has an element of surprise and a spur-of-the-moment decision. I love it. Hopefully, your mom did not give you a hard time.
This story shows how you and Peter made a major decision in your lives. It is incredible that when the time comes to make the move, the pieces fall together. Hopefully, everything went well with your mother.
I could totally relate to your story. Big, bold, brave decisions like that are both exciting and daunting. Welcome to the Villages.
A momentus decision told in a very well written story. Great use of dialog. I look forward to reading more of your stories.
Raquel – that was a huge transition, one of those benchmark moments. You brought your reader into the excitement and anxiety of your decision with your skillful use of dialogue. You and Peter both have every reason to feel proud of your accomplishment. Congratulations on the move!
My story from Prompt..What I’m proud Of
Dar, I love your reason for being proud. It is essential to see yourself in the mirror and like the person looking back at you. I agree with John’s observation of you. You are the sweetest, kindest, and supportive person in this group. Without you, many of us would not be accountable for our writing. You show up every Wednesday to lead the group. Writing together motivates people. it helps them create. I am sorry I am not there each week. I usually forget about the time when I sit in front of my computer—sending love.
What a great feeling to know you are loved by others for being you. Sometimes it’s hard to get that message through our heads, but it’s so true.
I kept hearing your voice as I read your piece Dar. It read exactly as you speak – pure, honest and with incredible warmth.
Dar, “What I’m proud of” is both profound and characteristically “you”. I love your insight into the unexpected boosts we get when others show how they appreciate us. How wise to grasp the importance of pride, not in our own accomplishments, but in how we’ve made positive impacts on others. You really are the sweetest. With your quiet warmth and support, you’re the heart of Life Writers, quietly beating in the background to keep us all together.
It was a beautiful day, the day my son adopted the little girl he had raised since she was two. Now, eight years later, the day arrived. It didn’t come easily. I never knew how complicated an adoption could be. First, Charlotte’s birth dad had to sign off. There were petitions to be signed and reams of paperwork to be filed with the court, visits from the Department of Family Services, and interviews with all involved, including Charlotte. Then the money. There needed to be a good bit of that: first, to have Charlotte’s birth dad file to relinquish his… Read more »
I love the words you chose to relay the variety of emotions in your beautiful story: complicated, anxiety, fearful, worries, excited, high-pitched, sneaking, delight, dream, someday. Very good flow and touching ending.
Such a poignant story, Ricki. I was immersed in reading it. What a wonderful day for your granddaughter to remember!
What a wonderful story about your adopted granddaughter. You have helped her feel special and accepted in your family. She is blessed to have you in her life.
Such a heartwarming story Ricki and what an incredible blessing. Thank you for sharing this piece.
I love this story and also the writing. It has a lot of moving parts but you managed to move the story along without bogging it down. I can’t wait to see more.
Ricki, this is a powerful story, beautifully told. Your tale really hits its stride when you describe Charlotte’s joyful homecoming, to her “newly minted” cousins and relatives. The details of the day and the party make everyone’s joy and excitement vivid. The final detail of the bracelet, its history and importance, Charlotte’s delighted acceptance, and the potential future of your gift, is a perfect ending.
Ricki, what a beautiful story and well written, congratulations. Jackie R