“How Did It Go?”

What are you working on?

Are you pitching an article or story?

How did your pitch go?

These questions filled the air at the recent Redbud Writer’s Guild retreat.

Now that I sit by myself at my desk, I realize that I missed something, maybe a few somethings, at the retreat.

I missed the one-up stories: “So you published one book this year? I published two.”

I missed the social media comparisons: “I have 15,000 Twitter followers. You said you have 100?”

I missed the fake empathy: “Oh, so sorry your pitch to an editor didn’t go well. Mine went so well. She took notes while I pitched my three books.”

Just to clarify—I don’t mind at all that I missed hearing these things.

Instead of hearing them I felt something that lurked behind words—something  spoken through kind eyes and nodding heads. Encouragement.

Hanging outside the door where agents and editors met with Redbud members, I heard it.

“How did it go?”

“I think she liked my idea. She was taking notes.”

“Yeah! You have a great story. I’m so glad you’re telling it.”

Sometimes we women can spend so much energy jostling for power and position.

Why not here?

Perhaps the key to the atmosphere at the Redbud Writer’s Retreat lies in this phrase I heard repeatedly: “It is all for Jesus.”

Jesus.

Not competition. Not comparison. Not power-grabbing.

Jesus.

Thank you, Redbuds. Keep reminding me, would you?