Happy Half-Birthday to Me (and a Gift for You)

I could click “share” on Facebook all day long, and feel less and less connected.

Instead, I took my bike out of the garage and rode to town. I got a taco and a $2 lottery ticket. Then I rode home. Anger, envy, sadness, missing, confusion, and love — all perched on my handlebars like a motley crew of dark companions, offset by the chirping of birds and pretty houses and flowers growing around picket fences. It wasn’t until I got to my own old yellow house that I stopped and put down the kickstand. Put down my guard and my armor and opened my eyes again. These lilies, towering amidst weeds, growing by the curb in a kind of accidental garden.

Continue reading today’s newsletter, which includes other musings as well as a special gift for you: 14% off everything on the menu until midnight July 14 (my half-birthday!).

If you don’t already receive Fierce Encouragement for Writing + Life, subscribe here and the next one will appear in your inbox.

Thank you for showing up, in all the ways.

The Roar Sessions Has a New Address & You’re Invited

Were you forlorn this morning, looking for a new Roar Sessions post and wondering why there wasn’t one?

No?

Well! Whether you noticed it or not, The Roar Sessions has moved into its own place — and you’re invited to come on over.

That’s right. In case you missed it, this weekly series that has grown dear to my heart — and maybe yours — now has its very own website. And today’s post is as powerful as they come.

“23 years since they said this. You can’t come back. Someone has to leave and they’ve been here longer and he is our pastor, so you have to leave. But hey, we are paying for eight counseling sessions for you and we wish you all the best, now leave, please, but let us pray for you before you go, and we really hope you will be okay. We feel so very sorry for you, and you really need help, but we can’t be the ones to help you because we have others who are more important than you to help. Go on now, troubled young woman. Leave. Let us get on with the Lord’s work, we don’t need women like you in our midst. You might rub off on us. And besides, didn’t you know it is really all your fault?” – from “Silent Roar” by Anonymous, this week’s guest

In addition to continuing to publish guest posts every Monday by kick-ass, courageous women of diverse backgrounds and experiences, there are few other pages for you to check out:

1. A complete archive since the series’ inception on June 7, 2015.
2. A submissions page.
3. Sponsorship opportunities, because writing “for the exposure” is passé and we deserve more.

As always, this space will continue to be home to my “Art of” Series, poems and other rambling posts, dates and details about all of my writing groups, and opportunities to keep growing as a writer and human through individual coaching sessions.

Thank you for being part of the first year of The Roar Sessions here on my blog — and for hopping over to follow the new site.

See you in all the places!