Celebrate the women who support your writing
February 13 has become an opportunity for women to reflect on their female friendships. Born from a 2010 episode of Parks and Recreation, Galentine’s Day is now a celebration worthy of Pinterest boards and marketing teams.
As a general rule, I’m not a lover of holidays because of the busyness and planning that are involved, but I do appreciate the reflective nature of them. I like that Thanksgiving reminds me to take at least a moment to remember my blessings; I like that Juneteenth makes me think about our country’s history in a way I didn’t learn in school. Such is the case with Galentine’s Day.
When I think about the women who I have relied on most, my mom and mother-in-law top the list, but there are other women who have long supported me throughout the years:
- Kristen, whom I met in the gym at age 14, became my maid of honor when I got married at 24 and is still (at age 49) my person to call in a crisis.
- My former middle school teacher, Terry, who has long been a cheerleader for me professionally and personally and who meets me a couple times a year for a catch-up-on-life meal.
- Amy, my book club bestie and podcast co-host, who is eager to nerd out with me over books in a way most other people aren’t.
- My neighbor, Heidi, who is always willing to be my date to Broadway shows or listen to me vent over a cup of hot tea (or wine).
The Galentines in your life don’t have to be women you’ve known forever and always. Sometimes relationships are part of a season of our lives, but that doesn’t make the impact less important. When I taught full-time, my teacher colleagues were critical to keeping my days flowing smoothly, the voice of adult reason in the midst of middle school nonsense. When my three children were young and I stayed at home full-time, mom friends helped me stay sane during breastfeeding struggles, sleepless nights, and toddler tantrums. While I don’t see these women anymore, their friendships were critical to me 10 to 15 years ago. Galentine’s Day gives me a chance to reflect on how much their camaraderie meant to me and sustained me during a very stressful and exhausting period of life.
When it comes to my writing life, I’ve flown solo, never part of a writing group. I sort of fell into freelance writing and editing and have mostly fumbled my way through for 13 years. But when a longtime freelancing relationship ended last summer, freeing up more time for me, I decided to start slowly venturing into more literary reflective writing. While I would like to say this has been easy, it hasn’t. I’m working muscles that I haven’t strengthened, and I sometimes become frustrated. I often want to quit (or I simply find other things to do) because it feels like work, even though I know that I’ll only improve if I put in the time and energy.
Since joining the Literary Mama team last fall, I’ve come to rely on my blog editor colleagues, Crystal Rowe and Michelle Chalkey, not only for our Literary Mama responsibilities but also for their support as a built-in writing network for me. They have been willing to read pieces for me and have provided comments and suggestions that are useful (which isn’t always what writers get from editors who may want more or different but don’t provide specific feedback). While I haven’t known them very long, I’m glad they are now part of my writing life.
Who are women who support your writing endeavors? What does their friendship mean to you?