Yesterday, I woke up to a message on my phone. It read, in part:
“And I told her that one of my favorite books I’ve read as an adult was a book written by a friend (Clean Freak). SO basically just if you ever have had that same self doubt, please know that I still look back on your book and I enjoyed the heck out of it!”
I can’t tell you what this means to me. But maybe, if you’ve been reading my posts this past year or so, you probably already know.
I went through a long stretch of depression and loss of identity and motivation. I’m clawing my way back, but I’m not doing it by myself. Since Thanksgiving was just the other day, I’d like to take a moment to thank some folks.
Kate, my wife and partner, who listens to me and encourages me and helps me make space for myself in my life when otherwise I might be overwhelmed by doing for others.
I will collectively thank everyone in my family, but especially my mom. She’s always encouraged me, whatever I’ve been doing, up to and including coming with me for a tattoo appointment, coming to shows when I was in a metal band, and reading my stories. To be clear, she’s not into tattoos, heavy metal, or horror stories. But she’s there for me.
My therapist. I’ve been going for several years now, for a lot of reasons. She’s very supportive and also challenges me in the ways I need her to. If you’ve ever felt like you might need help sorting through some shit, now’s the time to take the first step.
I will also collectively thank my friends, my chosen family. Especially those who send me random messages.
To all the teachers that ever encouraged me. I had no idea how much I relied on all of you and your encouragement. If you know a teacher, give them a big hug for me and tell them that they make more of a difference than they know.
Finally, I’d like to thank you, all of you. Everyone who ever visited this site and especially those who follow my journey, the likes on my posts go a long way to making me feel like I’m not just yelling into the void. To everyone who came to a reading, who came to a panel at a convention, who stopped at a table I was working and took a minute to talk to me. I hope I said something positive and impactful for you. And I hope you enjoy the stories.
I’m so full of joy and gratitude to be back writing again and this blog has definitely been part of that journey. If this is your first time here, welcome. And if you keep coming back, you help more than you can ever know. Thank you.
The Chimerical Dark 