Motherhood & Words

One thing I hope Ready for Air will do is connect us to one another. I’ve said that before, but it bears repeating. I felt so alone and isolated after Stella’s birth, and I know other women felt and feel that same way.

So I was so happy to read Sarah’s words over at Journeys of the Zoo this morning. Sarah and her husband had triplets in 2009. But not all of them made it out of the NICU. One of their sons, Alexander, died of Necrotizing Enterocolitis. And while their sweet survivors, Max and Artemis, bring Sarah and her husband a ton of joy, they feel Alexander’s loss every day. Our stories are different, as they always are. But Sarah still found hope in the book, which made me so happy.

She writes:

When I first found out that Kate was writing this book, I was so excited to read it. Partly because I’d reviewed Use Your Words: Writing Guide for Moms and loved her writing style and partly because I hoped that someone would understand what it’s like to be me. If even for a minute.

In this book, Kate bares her soul and the power of her words remind me that someone understands what it’s like to have a high risk pregnancy, daily life in the NICU and go on to survive.

Fours years later and the sound of Max’s crying brings out the same sights, sounds and feelings of those 8 weeks in the NICU. They haven’t gone away. I’m not sure that they ever will.

They might not, but at least there are people out there that understand! Thank you, Sarah, for your words and for being a part of the blog book tour. Please check out Journeys of the Zoo!

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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.

6 Comments

  1. Sarah at Journeys of The Zoo on October 25, 2013 at 10:14 am

    Dear Kate,

    I had made a list of all the ways in which our experiences were similar but different. However, in the end, they were all the same.

    Fear, loss, sadness, hope, joy, understanding. The list goes on.

    Thank you for letting me be a part of this journey with you.

    P.S. It was such a joy to read Jessica’s review over at “Four Plus an Angel”. She has been a huge pillar of support to me from the very beginning.

    Besos, Sarah
    Blogger at Journeys of The Zoo



    • Kate on October 25, 2013 at 10:28 am

      Oh Sarah, thank you! And I love that you and Jessica know each other. I’m not at all surprised. So much love!! xo



  2. Sue on October 25, 2013 at 11:27 am

    For me the isolation has been a key part of the motherhood journey and even though all our stories differ, by sharing we feel connected and find the similarities, that connection that is so critical. I do not think those feelings of being in hospital will ever fade and moments, smells can simply transport me back there.



    • Kate on October 25, 2013 at 1:02 pm

      Absolutely, Sue. Those details don’t fade and never fail to transport. I can’t wait until we’re all reading and talking about YOUR memoir!



  3. Angie Mizzell on October 25, 2013 at 3:04 pm

    This has to be so rewarding, Kate, to hear from other mothers who have been there, even if the stories are different. And I loved what Sarah said in her comment, how in the end they were all the same.



    • Kate on October 26, 2013 at 9:33 am

      It IS, Angie! Thank you, my dear!