When Words Fail Us, Gratitude That Literally Stops Traffic, and a Special Essay by Our Very Own Emily Sharp
Your weekly roundup from the editors of Moms Don’t Have Time to Write
Hello, dear reader! We’re back with a special Sunday edition of One Last Thing, the newsletter from Moms Don’t Have Time to Write, taking a look at the stories, columns, and advice from the week that was.
In this week’s grief column, Mark Massaro explains why he’s struggled to write about his friend’s suicide. Despite being a writer and an English professor, he found that “Words were never enough — a story cannot explain the feelings or make sense of my friend’s death, and an essay cannot capture the life that disappeared. And yet, words are all I have to articulate the memories and impressions she made on my life.”
Daphne Gregory-Thomas recounts a tender moment with her granddaughter that restored her faith in humanity. “I wanted her to stop in time, to keep combing the beach, to go on teaching how bringing gifts to strangers will make the world a better place.”
In more uplifting news, Wendy Kennar writes about how her son’s optimism reassured her that the future would be bright. Despite growing up in the middle of a global pandemic, Wendy was comforted by the fact that “here was a flashing neon sign that our son was okay — more than okay. Here was the confirmation I needed that despite all the changes and the scary situations, Ryan felt safe and secure.”
While we don’t condone breaking the law here at Moms Don’t Have Time to Write, we do appreciate Hilary Locker Fussteig’s efforts to help clear paths for ambulances in New York City. After surviving cancer, Hilary felt an immense gratitude to medical professionals, and was compelled to help out whenever she could.
In this week’s Friday Feature, our very own associate editor, Emily Sharp, writes from Covid isolation about the irony of catching the virus two years into the pandemic. After living in fear of getting sick for so long, she realized she was scared of so much more than just contagion: “When I put aside feeling like a trash can that has been set on fire, I’m left with the thought that maybe my anxiety over the last two years has had less to do with Covid than what the disease actually represents to me: the unknown.”
And finally, for those of you who need a touch of encouragement this weekend, read Jane Green’s advice in our Wake Up and Write column. Jane offers her surefire three-step approach to writing: “I always say to people that writing requires a PhD. In my world, that is persistence, humility, and discipline.”
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Warmly,
The Editors
