It began snowing while I was meeting with my critique group today. We were analyzing a tricky paragraph when I glanced up to look out the window. Tiny snowflakes were swirling around all of the cars in the parking lot. I mentioned the snow to my critique partners. We all looked out the window for a moment, and then we resumed our work.
We moved on to the next submission, which kept us busy for a while. The next time I looked out the window, the fattest snowflakes I’ve ever seen were cascading from the sky at an alarming speed. I told my partners, “The snow is really coming down now.”
What happened next was surreal. Person after person announced with varying degrees of enthusiasm, “Snow!” When the weather announcement had made it through the restaurant, one of my partners looked at me and asked, “Do you think anyone noticed it’s snowing?”
We enjoyed a good laugh, and then our conversation became more realistic. One of my partners lives in Oklahoma and wondered aloud about the condition of the interstate she needed to travel to get home. My other partner didn’t miss a beat. She immediately invited our Oklahoma partner to stay with her.
That level of kindness and concern for each other is what makes my critique group amazing. We genuinely care about each other’s safety and success. We only want the best for one another. If one of us needs a ride or a has a problem, the other two of us are there. When one of us accomplishes something wonderful, the other two of us celebrate with open hearts.
For our safety and piece of mind, we finished our meeting early and carefully made our separate ways home. We returned to our various abodes with renewed inspiration and replenished wells of creativity.
Whatever you love to do, I encourage you to find others who share that passion.
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