relationships
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My First Beta Reader
Dear Mom, I was reminded last week about the days when you’d be my beta reader. For so many years, you provided me with feedback, constructive criticism, and edits. Of course, there were also many pieces of writing that I… Continue reading
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My Aha Moment
Dear Mom, I’ve been staring at a blank page for hours. The cursor mocking me with its excessive blinking. I know what I want to write about this week. I know what I want to ask you. I know what… Continue reading
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A Lonely Child
Dear Mom, If you were alive, you’d say I was a troubled teenager, which I was, but I also know my troubles began long before. I can trace it all back to my childhood. When I close my eyes and… Continue reading
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What If I Had Asked for Help?
Dear Mom, For years, and I mean for all my life leading up to probably last week after my new therapist helped me open my eyes, I believed I had gotten away with it. I had pulled one over on… Continue reading
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In Matters of Taste
Dear Mom, I have been thinking a lot lately about my inability to say no to my kids. I googled why I can’t say no, and the answers were quite illuminating. Staring back at me were the following reasons why people struggle… Continue reading
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Connecting the Dots
Dear Mom, Recently, I had a conversation with Idris about some bad choices he had been making. Small instances of questionable behavior that I noticed. This is what my almost six-year-old boy said in response to my concerns. He told… Continue reading
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Keeping Your Memory Alive
Dear Mom, I fear that I have failed you. Before you died, you asked us to never stop telling stories about you. It was, in my memory, your biggest dying wish. You wanted to make sure that your memory would… Continue reading
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Life, Death, and the Diagnosis That Came Between Us
Dear Mom, I’ve been writing a lot lately about my need and desire to forgive and move on from the mistakes I made as a teenager and young adult. All the moments when I screwed up and all the apologies… Continue reading
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Before I Move Forward, One More Thing…
Dear Mom, Last week’s letter about compassion got me thinking about the ways in which we as a society tend to move on from the ugliness of our history. I’m pretty sure that many people would love to simply erase… Continue reading
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The Duality of Vulnerability
Dear Mom, When I first started writing these letters to you, I opened myself up to criticism that made me deeply uncomfortable. Similar to the themes of last week, getting criticism, especially criticism about my writing and ultimately my feelings,… Continue reading
Sober Letters to Mom 