Standing Into Danger: IWSG Day: Wednesday, March 4, 2026 ~ Soul Searching

Wednesday, March 4, 2026

IWSG Day: Wednesday, March 4, 2026 ~ Soul Searching

It's the first Wednesday of the month,
the day that members of the
Insecure Writer's Support Group
share their writing struggles
and writing successes
and offer their encouragement
and support to fellow writers.

To visit the IWSG website, click here.

To become a member of the IWSG, click here.

Our wonderful co-hosts who are volunteering today,
along with IWSG Founder Alex J. Cavanaugh are

P J Colando, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, and Natalie Aguirre!

Stop by their posts and thank them for hosting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Every month the IWSG announces a question that members can answer
with advice, insight, a personal experience, or a story in their IWSG posts.

Or, the question can inspire members
if they aren't sure what to write about on IWSG Day.

Remember the question is optional.

This month's optional question is:

What elements do you include in your book launch? Or what do you have in mind for your future book launch? Or what advice do you have to offer to others planning to launch a book?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy March, Everyone!

I hope that you have had a happy, healthy, and fulfilling February!

If you enjoy celebrating Valentine's Day,

I hope you and your Sweetheart had a good one.

Terry took me to dinner at the Hideout at the Laylow, my favorite Waikiki spot

where we enjoyed good food, friendship, and mellow music

(but forgot to get a photo).

Terry and I at Marugame Udon

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

January 3, 2026

I'm skipping this month's question, although I'm looking forward to seeing your answers.

February was a month of soul searching for me.

I've been absent from social media since last IWSG Day.

I was struggling, and it doesn't matter if you are in a paradise like Hawaii,

your issues are with you wherever you are.

I fell into a dark place, and it has taken me a while to climb out.

Depression and anxiety are old foes, and they can strike me out of nowhere.

A Favorite Place of Mine to Walk

Kapiolani Beach Park

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

February 24, 2026

I had to make some difficult choices about how I was spending my time

and about which responsibilities and obligations I wanted to carry forward.

Even though the choice made me really sad,

I decided I needed to step down as an IWSG administrator.

So I did.

I hit "send" on an email to Alex that was really hard to write.

I'm still a member, and I will continue to post and to participate,

because I truly appreciate all the friends I've made within the IWSG.

I'm getting to a lighter, brighter place.

A Favorite IWSG Friend of Mine

Pat Hatt and I

Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

July 27, 2024

I have an unexpected honor coming up on Sunday.

Last Sunday I learned that I have an opportunity to earn my pāʻū hula skirt.

I thought I wasn't eligible because I can only take lessons while I am in Hawaii

and I'm not a permanent member of our group.

But Pono, our kumu hula or master instructor, invited me

to say the chant required to earn it before the group when I am ready.

The chant is a traditional Hawaiian oli to request permission to enter the dancing space.

Liuliu wale ka uka o Koholālele

Ma uka, ma kai o Kapāpala

E komo, e komo aku hoʻi au ma loko

Inā ka puʻu nui o waho nei lā ē

He anu ē, he anu ē, he koʻekoʻe wale nō

ʻAe

Translation:

Ready and waiting are the uplands of Koholālele

Up to the hills and seaward of Kapāpala

Enter, I shall enter in

For here outside stands a prominent hill

So cold, so cold, oh so chilly

Yes

Part of Our Dancing Space

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

January 18, 2026

On my birthday last year, I invited IWSG members to write

a piece of flash fiction using the prompt "Song" on our Facebook page.

Here was my piece:

"Paddle Song"

The girl dipped her paddle into the ocean and steered toward the sun. “Liuliu,” she sang to the waves and sky, beginning her hula chant, safe in this space. She practiced this ancient song, riding the waves shoreward and sunward over and over. Tomorrow, she would perform it for her kumu and the members of her hālau. If she met her kumu’s exacting standards, she would earn her pāʻū hula, a skirt marking her progress from student to dancer. Beginning as a keiki, she had studied hard to become an ‘olapa and leave the rank of haumana behind. If she succeeded, she would respect her skirt, wrapping it after each use, never washing it, allowing it to accumulate her sweat and tears as she worked to master hula. She must succeed! She dipped her paddle and chanted, heading shoreward one last time.

Sunset

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

February 16, 2026

I wanted to be that girl.

Sunday I will be that woman. with my real pāʻū hula.

Practicing a Drill

(Photo from a Video)

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

March 1, 2026

Wish me luck!

I hope my tongue doesn't get tangled in all those Hawaiian vowels,

especially with

e komo aku hoʻi au ma loko Inā ka puʻu nui o waho nei lā ē

which has to be chanted in tune on one breath.

If you are also a member of our Facebook Group,

I invite you to visit and to provide a link to your IWSG post.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/IWSG13

Facebook members are invited to answer our March question too.

Hibiscus

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

February 24, 2026

Makua and Kila

Kuhio Beach Park

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

February 16, 2026

Take care!

Till next time ~

Fundy Blue

Standing Into Danger https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com

My next post will be Friday, March. 13th. 🤞

Just so you know, I monitor my comments before publishing them. This means your comment won't appear immediately. I will not publish mean spirited or commercial comments.

40 comments:

J Lenni DornerMarch 4, 2026 at 1:38 AM
That's awesome that you're doing so much real Hawaiian that you've been invited to such an honor. I hope you're doing well. Self-care is very important.
"What I say is, a town isn't a town without a bookstore." — Neil Gaiman

J (he/him 👨🏽 or 🧑🏽 they/them) @JLenniDorner ~ Speculative Fiction & Reference Author and Co-host of the April Blogging #AtoZChallenge international blog hop
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SeñoRidaMarch 4, 2026 at 3:57 AM
Hi Louise!!!
I'm glad that you climed out of that dark place. Depression is the worst.

For a moment I thought you were quitting IWSG. Relieved that you'd always stick around.

You keep making me want to add things to my bucket list lol. I am so going to read more about that skirt(which I don't think I'm pronouncing right)

And yeah, I waned to tell you that i got published on feb 19

Have a great march!
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TomMarch 4, 2026 at 4:27 AM
...Louise, the Hawaiian language certainly is vowel rich. That make it rather poetic I think. Enjoy your day and don't forget the sunblock.
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T. Powell ColtrinMarch 4, 2026 at 4:38 AM
I have cut back on social media, too. It's the right thing to do for my soul. Take care.

I love your photos!!!
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Alex J. CavanaughMarch 4, 2026 at 5:35 AM
You can do it!
We really appreciate the enthusiasm you brought to the IWSG Admin team and will miss that.
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L. Diane WolfeMarch 4, 2026 at 6:01 AM
We'll miss you Louise. I hope you remember all the words. They do look challenging to pronounce. (I'm learning Spanish and its one saving grace is that once you get the basics, words are easy to pronounce.)
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Crystal CollierMarch 4, 2026 at 6:23 AM
You know, I had a conversation just this last week with a friend who is a few years older than me about preserving our emotional energy because we just don't have as much to give these days. I'm cheering you on for making the hard decisions and knowing your limits, and I hope this coming month brings many wonderful moments as well.
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H. R. SinclairMarch 4, 2026 at 8:29 AM
Good luck and congratulations!

It's so important to take care of ourselves and do what we need to do. I'm glad your doing that. 🤗
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Debra She Who SeeksMarch 4, 2026 at 8:34 AM
Sorry to hear that the past month involved a hard choice and depression. May your path be lighter and brighter now. And what exciting news about Sunday's opportunity to receive your pāʻū hula skirt! Your flash fiction "Paddle Song" so succinctly and beautifully explained its significance! Good luck with the chant, may it flow off your tongue like a joyful song!
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cleemckenzieMarch 4, 2026 at 9:17 AM
So sorry to hear about the depression, but I'm heartened that things are getting better for you. Aloha and keep dancing.
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Ronel Janse van VuurenMarch 4, 2026 at 9:36 AM
The hibiscus flower is beautiful. Yeah, sometimes we need to take stock of what we have, what we do, and what we want, and make those difficult choices.

Ronel visiting for IWSG day Like Herding Cats
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emaginetteMarch 4, 2026 at 11:02 AM
I'm glad you took care of yourself, because if you don't, no one else will. Feed your joy and eventually the darkness will fade.

I wish I could give you a hug--not that it would fix anything. You have support from BC and if I squint, I think I can see your group dancing. Very nice. :-)
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Rebecca M. DouglassMarch 4, 2026 at 11:49 AM
Best of luck with the hula test! You can do this! I'm sorry that depression got you--it's insidious, the more that it doesn't have to have a reason. We'll miss you as an admin of the IWSG, but you make the choices you need to, and it sounds like this was what you need to do. Glad you aren't quitting the monthly posts!
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DVArtistMarch 4, 2026 at 1:18 PM
Well my dear friend we all have to make those hard choices that will keep us healthy. Sometimes that's hard to do but you did it. Also congratulations on earning your pāʻū hula skirt. Sending you love, light, and healing energy.
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JenniMarch 4, 2026 at 2:30 PM
Congrats on getting to live out the dream of your story! I'm sorry to hear you've been going through a hard time. I know what it's like to make those hard choices. I hope stepping back a bit will help!
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Victoria Marie LeesMarch 4, 2026 at 3:05 PM
Make no mistake, Louise. You will be sorely missed at the Admin of IWSG because you were so wonderful at it. We love you, dear. I'm so sorry you have been going through a difficult time. Please know, you will always be in my prayers. Stay strong, dear friend. I'm here for you. Contact me anytime.
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roentareMarch 4, 2026 at 4:20 PM
What a profound convergence of struggle and grace after weathering February’s darkness, being invited by your kumu to voice that oli and step forward to earn your pāʻū feels like a quiet, hard-won affirmation of resilience and belonging.
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JeanieMarch 5, 2026 at 6:07 AM
Congratulations on your upcoming skirt! That is beyond cool and so well done. I can see why that would be a very big honor.

It's a deep hole, isn't it? I'm grateful you have found a way to crawl out of it and I hope that will hold for you. It feels like you have good support and that means a lot. Sometimes we just have to stop things we love -- maybe always, maybe just for now. But it is both a difficult parting and like a weight lifts. I'm glad your weight has lifted and that you will be able to celebrate the next part of your life.
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Pat HattMarch 6, 2026 at 9:38 AM
Haha I'm not going to even pretend that I could say that from reading it.

As you know, my social media output is waaaay down from my post every day for like a decade. But meh, more important things in life like going this way and that with my 3 charges. Even if 2 of them are still obsessed with bodily functions. One told me yesterday that he stuck a piece of toilet paper he used to wipe near his dog to see if he'd eat it. An experiment. His experiment succeeded lol blah.

Hopefully you are finding balance again and master all those vowels. We shall see if July this year repeats 2024. I was up near the cove the other day.
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Linda's Relaxing LairMarch 7, 2026 at 10:11 AM
Your photos are beautiful, Louise! And you look absolutely radiant, dear friend! Your smile and good heart are captivating.
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Thank you for your comments! I appreciate them very much.

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Wednesday, March 4, 2026

IWSG Day: Wednesday, March 4, 2026 ~ Soul Searching

40 comments: