My dear friend Marlene Cullen wrote the following words in our last writing group. She gave me permission to print them here. They speak to how I've been feeling, they are totems for what I am going through.

“I had an epiphany today — or, at least, a light bulb. If we become honest in our talking and dealing with people, if we go deep and tell the genuine truth, will that carry over to our writing? And will we then go deep and become authentic in our writing?

"The temptation is to not go where it hurts. The temptation is to lie in order to resist the painful truth.”
--Marlene Cullen

As someone who grew up thinking you could not and should not tell the truth of your experiences because you would be punished and reviled (which has, sadly, proven more true than not), this is a good reminder.

I hate the cliche that the truth sets you free, but I believe it. I believe that you can liberate yourself by embracing your shadow parts, your unlovely darkness. Lord knows I've had some painful opportunities to do so and I'm sure there will be more. What we don't want to see, I think, is exactly what we have to see.

JPR