Patti Digh said that “the shortest distance between two people is a story.”

Maybe it’s because I’m a mother, maybe it’s because of my Irish ancestry, but I have always loved a good story. Not just for myself, but to share with others. We are a house of readers here: the kids and I read aloud to each other, I read to Lara at night to help us both wind down. We invent stories to explain things that do not otherwise make sense to us.

In talking to other writers, we all seem to have a bit of a hiccup when it comes to telling the unvarnished truth in our stories. But we all have a story, as unique as our DNA, no two writers will go through similar experiences with the same perspective. Your story is entirely yours, and it merit being told. (Even in the middle of the night, when you suddenly start thinking of yourself as a fraud rather than a story teller.)

Fact: ugliness is a part of life. So is beauty. Lies happen, but truth comes around as well. To paint a picture with words, we cannot turn a blind eye to part of the tale we tell. Do not be afraid. As the self-nominated biggest chicken on earth, I am encouraging you to set your fears aside. It’s a process that seems to feel largely like an uphill battle. When I first embarked upon that part of the journey, I tweeted to a writer friend to ask her if I was supposed to be experience the symptoms of anxiety. She said that meant I was doing it right.

So, today, right as you read these words, as yourself: what story would you tell if you weren’t afraid of the consequences? Write your story. Do not fear judgment or shock. Just write. That raw experience is what we need to read.

Monday blessings to you all…