A friend recently reached out to me asking if I had any suggestion for a Christmas gift for an aspiring young writer. Something that would be meaningful, that would encourage her to pursue her passion, and something that could easily be placed under the tree.
My mind instantly wanted to suggest things like books or writing courses or conferences, but that just didn’t feel right. So I paused and reconsidered. What would have meant the most to me when I was this teenager’s age? And that’s when it came to me.
I’ve been holding onto a Moleskine notebook for over 15 years now. It was a graduation gift from one of my favorite college writing professors. It’s filled with all manner of random notes from walks and late-night, sleep-crusted strokes of inspiration. It’s been to writing conferences and campouts. And it’s survived quite a few moves.
When I flip through the pages I remember where I was in life when I wrote each line. But mostly, I remember one of the first people outside of my family to encourage my giftings and gently nudge me to pursue my dreams.
If it hadn’t been for Professor Morgan, I would never have considered being an editor. I would never have learned about all the fascinating tidbits tucked away in the Chicago Manual of Style and other style guides. And I would certainly not still be pressing forward and continuing to grow in a field I love.
So I suggested a leather journal and a fountain pen so that one day, this young writer could look back at the beginning of her journey and remember.
Sometimes it’s the little things that leave the biggest impact.
Big and grandiose gifts can a lot of fun, but they’re not always practical. And they’re not always what’s best for someone at that specific point in time. But small little keepsakes—like my little notebook or the pen that another writer I know continues to hold onto despite that fact that it’s long since crossed its last “t” and dotted its last “i”—remain visible reminders that others see our potential, even when we cannot.
Do you have a writing keepsake that you pull out from time to time? What’s the story behind it? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
