Hi Clare, how very brave of you! I don't think I could do this. But here's what struck me the most: your last line.
"Life changes. Sometimes all at once. Usually more slowly. You just have to stay alive long enough for change to happen."
I hate how people tell us that time heals all wounds when we lose someone we love, when we grieve. Grief has no timeline. Life ebbs and flows. That's just how it goes, it's what it means to be human: to feel the full spectrum of highs and lows, ups and downs. To just allow ourselves to be fully present in this moment and to allow ourselves to feel what we feel.
Preach Jeannie. Life is nothing but ebbs and flows in my experience, and we have to find ways to navigate it all. I worked hard on that last line and am so glad it resonated. Thank you for being here 💕
I’m just sending you love🩷 I’m sorry you went through such hard things! But I love how you overcame your stagefright and tried something new! You’re so inspiring🩷
Thank you for sharing your story. So beautifully expressed, I felt it deeply. I understand staying alive long enough to see the wonder that happens in life after struggling to make it through. I'm subscribing, you have a lovely writer's voice. One question: Why did you mark this story "TL;DR"?
Hi Nan, thanks so much for this kind comment. I used TL;DR when I summarised the message of the piece in the sub-head, but perhaps that's the wrong usage. I'm an elder millenial and don't always have a good grasp on the internet lingo! I'm excited to have discovered your newsletter which has such a great name! I'm looking forward to reading more of your work 💕
Thank you, Clare! I just learned TL;DR recently, because I'm a younger Boomer (I'm sorry!). Actually, no I'm not. Why do boomers feel they have to apologize for being ourselves? Anyway, I find the abbreviation another way for people to criticize, possibly inform, and basically to disqualify something's worth due to their perceived idea of what's an acceptable length! And truthfully, I do sometimes receive posts that are TL, and I DR (don't read) but I wouldn't say anything about it. So yes, I was wondering about that little warning. Maybe take it off? I didn't think it was too long at all. Beautifully told, and edited. Loved it. Glad we've discovered each other. PS. I'm also a Story Slammer!
I put my name in the hat a few times in NYC. I was called up once, and the audience was supportive. I realized after that my story needed tweaking - a better arc. But it was a great learning process.
A supportive audience makes a huge difference, I think. Go you for giving it a go! Even if it wasn't perfect, you tried it, learned something and will be even better next time (if you are interested in doing it again!). 💕
Hi Clare, how very brave of you! I don't think I could do this. But here's what struck me the most: your last line.
"Life changes. Sometimes all at once. Usually more slowly. You just have to stay alive long enough for change to happen."
I hate how people tell us that time heals all wounds when we lose someone we love, when we grieve. Grief has no timeline. Life ebbs and flows. That's just how it goes, it's what it means to be human: to feel the full spectrum of highs and lows, ups and downs. To just allow ourselves to be fully present in this moment and to allow ourselves to feel what we feel.
Preach Jeannie. Life is nothing but ebbs and flows in my experience, and we have to find ways to navigate it all. I worked hard on that last line and am so glad it resonated. Thank you for being here 💕
Glad to be here.
I’m just sending you love🩷 I’m sorry you went through such hard things! But I love how you overcame your stagefright and tried something new! You’re so inspiring🩷
Gah Mazsi, this is so nice. Thank you 💕
that's amazing!
Thank you for sharing your story. So beautifully expressed, I felt it deeply. I understand staying alive long enough to see the wonder that happens in life after struggling to make it through. I'm subscribing, you have a lovely writer's voice. One question: Why did you mark this story "TL;DR"?
Hi Nan, thanks so much for this kind comment. I used TL;DR when I summarised the message of the piece in the sub-head, but perhaps that's the wrong usage. I'm an elder millenial and don't always have a good grasp on the internet lingo! I'm excited to have discovered your newsletter which has such a great name! I'm looking forward to reading more of your work 💕
Thank you, Clare! I just learned TL;DR recently, because I'm a younger Boomer (I'm sorry!). Actually, no I'm not. Why do boomers feel they have to apologize for being ourselves? Anyway, I find the abbreviation another way for people to criticize, possibly inform, and basically to disqualify something's worth due to their perceived idea of what's an acceptable length! And truthfully, I do sometimes receive posts that are TL, and I DR (don't read) but I wouldn't say anything about it. So yes, I was wondering about that little warning. Maybe take it off? I didn't think it was too long at all. Beautifully told, and edited. Loved it. Glad we've discovered each other. PS. I'm also a Story Slammer!
I love that you found the courage to do this. What an empowering act. Great job!
Thank you Paulla. It was terrifying in the moment but once I was safely back in my seat, I did feel proud of myself. Thank you for your kind support 💕
I put my name in the hat a few times in NYC. I was called up once, and the audience was supportive. I realized after that my story needed tweaking - a better arc. But it was a great learning process.
A supportive audience makes a huge difference, I think. Go you for giving it a go! Even if it wasn't perfect, you tried it, learned something and will be even better next time (if you are interested in doing it again!). 💕
I’d love to try this but I am similarly introverted. Great job!
Thanks Joy 💕 It was terrifying, but I did feel very proud of myself afterward. If you ever have a chance to, maybe you'd like to give it a try too. 😉