Write Bravely - January Week 3
How the month is going!
Mid-January is a quieter part of the year. It’s a time for noticing rather than pushing forward. The prompts shared with the Write Bravely community invited reflection on what’s still lingering from the old year, the shape of ordinary January days, small moments of kindness, and the need to ease our pace.
Write Bravely Prompts Week 3
1. What’s Still With Me:
Two weeks into the year, what from the old year is still lingering—an emotion, a habit, a hope? What might it need from you right now: patience, release, or care?
2. The Shape of an Ordinary Day:
Describe a recent January day just as it was. Where did you notice steadiness, warmth, or quiet comfort in the ordinary?
3. Kindness, Carried Forward:
Recall a recent moment of unexpected kindness. How did it land in you? In what small, natural way could you pass that kindness on and let it ripple outward?
4. Adjusting the Pace:
Now that the year has begun, where do you need to soften your expectations? What would it look like to move through the rest of January with more grace?
The responses gathered here are thoughtful and gentle. They remind us that we don’t need to rush this season. There is value in slowing down, paying attention, and moving through the days with a little more grace.
The Weeping Pomfret (Chrysolyte) dealt with strong themes of social justice and the need for us to stand up to fight the chaos.
Jyotsna dealing with the raw grief of the loss of her dear husband, bravely shared her authentic responses to each of the prompts.
1.Two weeks into 2026, grief has become a companion,walking alongside & within .
Grief that has taught me to live slower with presence. I find myself eating slower,reading slower and moving slower.
This feeling and my body that carries it, needs space & gentle caring for now.
2.A recent January morning has had me revelling in the seasonal veggies of winter- desi amla that I soaked in brine, spring garlic leaves used in a chutney, white and red radish pickled in vinegar amd ‘mogdi’- mulyachi sheng- tender yet crunchy that I cooked lightly.
I find quiet comfort and delight in finding ways to use local seasonal veggies . It warms my heart. It reminds me of family and our ‘filled with food’ dining table.
3. I have received so much of kindness that my heart is full. It spills over.Unexpected yet so welcomed.
Nimbu pani at my doorstep, sometimes dhokla or dadpe poha, a bowl of pasta, sunflowers, jasmine strings, an orchid plant, prayers, tight hugs and mindful checking in.
Sharing my garden produce has been a small way for now to pass the kindness.
The world is kind. My heart is open to receiving.
4. I wish to soften my expectations about letting go, decluttering and rushing things.
A January with more grace would long for a Jyotsna to fully acknowledge that inside she’s still wandering with no map and no clue where to go. With a grief that has stolen from her future.And that’s okay.
Madhavi shared what’s still with her from last year and the lessons she carries.
Last year this time, I was neither celebrating the New Year nor the Indian festival Sankranti that falls in the second week of January. My husband, at that time was going through a difficult recovery period after a critical eye surgery. His right eye was absolutely perfect. Yet, I could only think of praying that the sight of his left eye be completely restored. Nothing else mattered.
Now, a year later, everything returned to normalcy and my husband can read fine print without the slightest difficulty. The memory of how scared I was despite the doctor’s assurance is fresh. The fear still lingers.
However, the incident made me wiser and humbler. I am now aware that I cannot take gifts of life for granted. I am extremely grateful for all those privileges my loved ones and I enjoy.
I still have to get over several what-ifs. I need to let go the pain of the helplessness I had been through. The memory makes me sad. But then, I gently come back to the present moment which is pleasant and precious because it reminds me of grace, holds richer thoughts and finer aspirations for me.
Sunita shared about how her year has begun and the adjustments she’s making.
This year started as usual with great promise. My goals were in place, my vision board ready, my word of the year chosen. I had done my end-of-year meetings with my business mentor and my daughter, both of who help me stay accountable. I was feeling really optimistic about being “productive” and working towards “abundance.”
And then everything changed.
Read more on her blog here.
Vinitha wrote a totally relatable poem about dealing with her expectations.
Expectations seep in
with no invitation,
with no encouragement—
a silent invasion.
Read more:
As part of our community we meet once a month online for a Writing Marathon. So happy to report that our Marathon was such a wonderful time of writing and healing.
Do consider joining our community and writing together!