This is a short story worth the read!! A beautiful story of purpose, value, and remembering God’s faithfulness! For months, the plain cardboard shoe box lived in the dark corner of the closet, stacked beneath heavy winter coats and forgotten backpacks. Once, it had held a crisp, brand-new pair of sneakers, but now its only purpose was holding random odds and ends—tangled cords, spare buttons, and old birthday cards. The shoe box often wondered if this was all its life would ever be: a quiet storage container collecting dust in the dark, hidden away from the world outside. The shoe box wasn’t going to spend its life sitting in that dark closet anymore. One afternoon, a hand reached deep into the corner, lifted the box into the bright light, and emptied out all the old buttons and tangled cords. It was time for a journey. The first thing tucked inside was a small, blank journal and a fresh pen—ready to write down every step of the trip ahead. The shoe box felt a thrilling flutter in its cardboard frame as the lid snapped shut and it was slipped into a travel backpack. What was going to happen? Where was he going to go? He was so excited that he couldn’t wait to see the adventure they would go on together. What would the owner place inside him and what was he going to see, if anything? He couldn’t believe after all of this time he was going to be used for something he thought was important. Memories! Advertisement With every stop on the journey, the backpack unzipped, the lid lifted, and the shoe box received a new treasure. First came a smooth, blue pebble picked up from the shore of a roaring ocean, smelling faintly of salt and freedom. Next was a pressed wildflower from a windy mountain trail, its bright yellow petals preserved like a burst of captured sunshine. As the box traveled from bustling city streets to quiet countryside paths, it realized it wasn’t just holding objects anymore—it was holding moments of wonder, joy, and peace that would never be forgotten.

This was a really fun one to do. The prompt was an object! What kind of stories can you come up with an object? You may not see Bubbles the pen as something vital to you. However, for some people it is a vital part of their day. In fact, authors, composers, artists, and journalists use this vital object; just to name a few. In this story, let’s get to know Bubbles, the Red Pen! The pen I write with is red, and I decided to name her Bubbles. You see Bubbles has been with me for a little while now. She loves sliding on the page, turning with every stroke that I write. In fact, Bubbles loves to see each adventure as it unfolds with each new character and scene of a story that is written. What Bubbles likes best is the gratitude list that is made almost every day. Feeling the emotions of each character and recording the gratitude for each day made Bubbles feel so bubbly that she could hardly contain her excitement. However, Bubbles is grateful for the rest she gets because it sure is tiring by the end of the writing. One day, Bubbles awoke to the familiar feeling of being picked up and placed on the page. She tries once. Nothing.
 She tries again. Still nothing.
She wonders what’s wrong.
She begins to wonder if she will ever write again.
 Her owner realized what was wrong and replaced what Bubbles needed. Suddenly, Bubbles felt a jolt of energy as she glided along the curves and turns of the strokes on the page. Bubbles lived for this excitement. She always loved the way she could move, twist, turn, color, and so much more. Sometimes we aren’t broken. Sometimes we’re simply empty and need to be refilled. Bubbles isn’t valuable because she’s a red pen. She’s valuable because of what she is able to do when she has what she needs. “Am I broken, or am I simply empty and in need of being refilled?”

I’m working on becoming a better and more consistent writer, and one of the reasons I joined this community was to connect with other authors who are figuring things out too. I’m interested in sharing ideas, talking about what’s working, being honest about the parts that are difficult, and learning from each other along the way. I just enjoy conversations about writing and the process behind it. What’s something you’ve been struggling with in your writing lately?