It wasn’t a week ago when I was passing out advice to a fellow writer. “Don’t give up! You can do it. The stories are inside you just screaming to get out…” Blah, blah, blah. Oh don’t get me wrong…I meant what I said. I still do. And just maybe my words helped her find the inspiration again.
But today?
I’m the one struggling with feelings of inferiority and self-doubt. And not just as a writer, but as a human being. Where this came from, I have no idea. My husband is blaming hormones, and I find myself reading old blogs and counting the days to see if he might be right…but I don’t think he is. And if he is, I have a serious hormonal imbalance going on. Possibly life threatening this time. I feel as if I don’t have the strength to take my next breath.
Yes, I’m probably overreacting. Probably being ridiculously melodramatic and silly. It’s part of my overwhelming charm, after all. We creative types are nothing if not dramatic. I was even ready to drag out the dreaded wine coolers to drown my sorrows. And I was prepared to drink a whole one! Maybe even part of a second.
Yes…it was that serious.
And then I got this email. It was words of encouragement from a stranger. Someone who had read my blog, maybe some of my samples…and this woman, a successfully published author in her own right, was telling ME I was talented. She was urging me to keep writing…to believe in myself. Her words were like a lifeline reaching out to me in the dark of night. And it couldn’t have come at a better time.
So the stuff that had me down today is still here, but just maybe I have the strength to take that next breath after all. And the one after that while I’m at it.
I mean…come on. I can’t give up. I have ice cream in the freezer!
Until the next time…milkshakes for everyone!