Wow...

The decision wasn't any easy after I went to bed... In fact, it is all convoluted!

I thought I would summarize each of the entries so you can see how hard of a decision this has been for me. I will give you a brief line on their entry and then my thoughts. Winner at the end, but take time to read these entries. They are amazing.

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Jess' Entry:
Holding your chin up high and keep walking despite your circumstances.

Eisley’s Thoughts:
This is the truth as it is written. Regardless of your circumstances, keep walking. Keep your chin up and just keep walking.

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Foodie ffanatic Entry:
It doesn't matter if I am right, it matters that I am kind.

Eisley’s Thoughts:
I wish the whole world would take what Dani says here and run with it. It really doesn't matter how "RIGHT" you are. Do something kind.

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Erica's Entry:
Be a survivor!

Eisley’s Thoughts:
Can I dance? Can I dance WITH you? Everyone dance! Yes! It is about being a survivor. Not the survival of the fittest either. Survival of the journey... and dancing in the end. That’s how I see it.

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Jameystegmaier Entry:
Regrets. He never regretted attending a funeral, but he did regret not attending one.

Eisley’s Thoughts:
I have been in Jamey’s shoes. I choose not to go to my Great Grandmother’s funeral for selfish reasons. And I do regret it. Every time I think about it, I know the decision was a poor one. We live, we learn. Never regret paying your last respects to your loved ones.

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Anne C’s Entry:
Everything happens for a reason.

Eisley’s Thoughts:
Indeed it does. To sharpen, to mold, to enlighten, to make us think, to help us grow. Everything does indeed happen for a reason. We may not understand the “reason” the moment it’s happening. But eventually we can look back and say, “Whoa,” and get it.

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Angie K’s Entry:
Learning to make mistakes

Eisley’s Thoughts:
Oh, I never make mistakes what on earth is she talking about? Ha ha ha! Ahem, well… yes. This is something we all need to learn. In so many ways. I could go on and on… but Yah. Make mistakes people, it’s the only way we learn.

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Jessica C’s Entry:
Live for the little things.

Eisley’s Thoughts:
Like chocolate?!?! Ahhh, yes! Well okay, it’s is deeper than that but, that is the point. Live for the things that matter. And do it as you dance… Dance with me? Ohh, I think I am in a dancing mood today.

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Danae’s Entry:
Well, how to sum it up? I am not sure. But it made me laugh. She learned… A LOT about many things ;)

Eisley’s Thoughts:
I love to laugh… and have learned similar lessons from my children. “Can you just flush that? Yah,um,thanks.”

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Slushpilehero’s Entry:
Snowflakes and Warhol’s… being all you can be as a writer.

Eisley’s Thoughts:
These thoughts are every writer’s dream and one they need to grasp hold of like Slushpilehero here. It is up to you to decide why type of writer you will become.

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Liana B’s Entry:
She learned to count to three!

Eisley’s Thoughts:
I can’t even sum up her entry in my thoughts. I loved this entry, since I too count kids ALL the time. 5 or 6 on any given day. So I could totally relate and it was related to her novels. Each representative in a kid. Such a good entry. Did I mention she has some dang cute socks?

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Simeon L’s Entry:
He became a writer.

Eisley’s Thoughts:
He had some awesome images in his entry. All of which make you SEE what he is talking about. Indeed he became a writer!

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Lexi F’s Entry:
Getting closer to her dream.

Eisley’s Thoughts:
You go girl! She realized that it’s not a dream anymore… it’s reality. Which is HUGE. Congratulations!

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Anne R’s Entry:
She learned she will never be good enough.

Eisley’s Thoughts:
As a Christian myself, I understand her comments thoroughly. It is a relief, as she stated, to realized that I too will fail the world. Ahhh the burden, did you hear it hit the floor? It was a loud thud. And the fact that they only thing that is good enough is Christ, it a reality for Anne and for myself. It’s freeing to not have to live under the pressures of “good enough”.

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GrooveyMysyter’s Entry:
Enjoy life every day.

Eisley’s Thoughts:
Amen, let’s dance. Twitter does rock the dance floor!

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Don’s Entry:
The game will always change. Which warm and fuzzies do you choose?

Eisley’s Thoughts:
What matters to you is what is important. Who cares what the rest of the world thinks! Really.

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Niyrak’s Entry:
Bad decisions are only mistakes if you don’t learn from them.

Eisley’s Thoughts:
Nod, nod, nod. Another good lesson learned for 2009. One to bring into the future! I heard a wise quote from someone, sometime in the last couple years… Ahem, “You know the difference between a wise man and a foolish man? The wise man gets up off the ground, dusts himself off and tries again.”

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Mercedes’ Entry:
Following your dreams, even if you have to disappoint someone in doing it.

Eisley’s Thoughts:
Beautiful. I loved the parallels she drew here with her words. And boy can I relate. Can you say conviction? This is something I am STILL struggling to make a reality in my life.

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Trish’s Entry:
The human heart is resilient. While loss can shut it down, love can restart it.

Eisley’s Thoughts:
I cried when I read this one. I haven’t lost anyone close to me, yet, but this one really resounded with me. And it’s so true… Love is where it’s at. In so, sooo many ways.

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Jenn’s Entry:
Keep striving, keep hoping, keep going… and eat chocolate.

Eisley’s Thoughts:
Amen! That is all that I can say to that!!!

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Now that you have a glimpse of my what I read and my thoughts, maybe you can see why it was so difficult for me to choose. But because it’s a contest, I must choose and someone must win. It was a hard choice and one that I don’t come lightly to.

The reason I did this contest was because I too was thinking of everything that I have learned from 2009. I learned valuable things that I'll take with me to 2010... But I am still learning, well as much as my thick skull will allow.

Sometimes things can smack me in the face and I still don’t learn from them. I keep doing the same things over and over again until finally my nose is bloodied and my head hurts from repeated poundings and I think, “Huh, this feeling seems so familiar. Well Duh, Eisley. You screwed up like this how many times before?” But then I remind myself… Get up and learn from the situation. Be wise not foolish.

How that applies to me as a writer… well I am still trying to figure that one out. ;)

And in light of this contest, I have a lot of pondering to do on this subject. So thanks. I think *I* am the winner here. Forget the chocolate.

So, since it was so difficult to decide… I took a couple runner’s up. Anne Chilldon and Dani (Foodie ffanatic). They will both receive some chocolate and my thank you for making me think about all the things that are important in life and how to learn from them.

But without further adieu, I will announce the winner who takes all the rest of the chocolate yumminess. The 12+ bars of goodness that will no doubt be the joy of your holiday season *grin*

*drumroll*

Congratulations Mercedes! Her original entry is below. Please take a moment to read, reflect and maybe even make a change in your life. It’s powerful stuff...

You ALL did an excellent job with your entries! I wish I had 19 bricks of chocolate to give away. It was seriously SERIOUSLY hard to choose. But in the end, someone had to win.

Please drop each of the winners twitter pages and leave them a congratulatory comment. It was REALLY really a hard choice.

Mercedes Entry:
Over the hills is a busy city full of neon lights and tall buildings. In this city is a small house, and in this house lived a tiny girl. Her dream was to work in the backyard garden because she wanted to grow a perfect sunflower. But there were distractions.

“Will you hold my parasol, tiny girl?” asked an extremely fancy woman.

“Why, yes, of course,” said the tiny girl. Her mama had taught her to be helpful.

“Tiny girl, will you stitch up this rip in my suit?” asked a (nearly) wonderfully dressed man.

“Certainly,” replied the tiny girl. She tucked the parasol under her arm and took his suit.

“Tiny girl, will you sing a song for us?” asked a young boy.

“Um, I will try,” said the tiny girl, and try she did, singing while she stitched.

“Tiny girl, tiny girl, tiny girl…” The voices came louder and they came more often. Ever helpful, tiny girl said yes, and yes, and yes again, all the while casting her eyes toward the perfect patch of earth that was being neglected while she tried to do everything else. She walked dogs, made dinners, soothed hurt feelings, dressed wounds in Hello Kitty band-aids, critiqued a friend’s novel, put up holiday lights, engaged in social networking, attended meetings for school and work and church and, oh my! It was simply too much!

“No longer!” The tiny girl threw everything to the floor. Her hands felt deliciously cool and empty.

People turned to look at her.

“I am truly sorry,” she said, “but my dream is to grow the perfect sunflower. And I have been so busy that my dream is shriveling outside. No longer, please. I will help where I can, but I realize that my sunflower has to come first. Thank you very much.”
And the tiny girl skipped joyfully outside.


-Mercedes

(Girl with a Parasol by Susanne FrieFire Sunflower by Nadine Rippelmeyer)