Motherhood & Words

friends and readers

Friday morning I was completely discombobulated. I had had four hours of sleep (my fault) and I needed to grocery shop, write a blog post, submit an essay, respond to to the internet love coming my way (for which I’m so grateful), and then pack because my high school friends and I were heading to my mom’s cabin at noon. I was dashing around the house, and then I would pause and smile and my eyes would fill with tears, and I’d remember how lucky and grateful I am. Well, I’m still feeling that love. The cabin was relaxing–full of laughter and love between old, old friends. I went on two great runs, ate fabulous food, drank lots of wine, took a nap and talked and talked and talked. It was lovely.

And now I’m back home and so pleased to have 5 Minutes for Mom kicking off the first full week of the Ready for Air blog tour. (You can read see the full tour schedule here at Literary Mama.)

One of the things that I hope Ready for Air will do is to get readers to think and talk and write their own stories, whether these are birth stories or other life stories. And that’s why I love that Jennifer at 5 Minutes for Mom begins her post with her own birth, that not-being-quite-ready feeling that I think is so common, even if your birth isn’t shrouded in trauma. But I also really love that I surprised Jennifer, that she wasn’t expecting to like the book. But she does, and ends up writing, “I’m not recommending this as a ‘memoir written by someone whose daughter was in NICU.’ It’s a book I’ll recommend to people who like memoir.” Thank you so much, Jennifer, for reading, for getting what I was trying to do.

Please check out Jennifer’s post at 5 Minutes for Mom, and enter to win a free copy of the book.

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Kate

I have been teaching creative writing for almost twenty years. Reading about other women’s lives and experiences has expanded my world. To be able to walk in someone else’s shoes, whether it’s for a moment or an hour or a few days, is an incredible gift, providing me with insight into the human experience. It takes courage to write your truths, especially if it doesn’t seem as though anyone cares, as though anyone is listening. Let me tell you: your stories matter, I’m listening, and I’m here to help you find the heart of those truths, to get them down on the page, to craft them, and to send them out into the world. Together, we will change the world, one story at a time.