Thank You

I wanted to say thank you to everyone who came on here yesterday and read my post. I was very surprised by the response I received. I honestly thought that the only people who would read my blog would be my husband and my sister. But so many of you clicked the link and took the time to read my words. My phone kept going off with the notifications of followers and comments being left and I received many texts and messages, which were all appreciated more than you will ever know. I was completely caught off guard by your responses. To have some of you use the words ‘powerful’ and ‘inspiring’ to describe what I wrote blew me away. I wasn’t expecting any of it, but you sure know how to make a girl feel good about what she’s done. I have to say that as much as I loved all of the responses, the best for me was having my 17 year old niece text me that she was proud of me. That got me right in the heart, it meant more to me than I think she realizes. And when your niece says something like that then you know you’re doing the right thing.

I realized yesterday that not everyone who knows me knows I am a writer. It’s hard for me to even call myself that sometimes, but I’m working on it. It’s my own fault that people don’t know because I don’t talk about it, I never bring it up in conversation, and when someone asks me what I do I don’t think I have ever answered ‘I’m a writer’. And I think that’s out of fear and embarrassment because when you say you’re a writer the next question is usually, ‘have you been published?’. I haven’t so I never want to start that conversation. And I know that being published isn’t why people do it, we do it because we have something to say in a way that only we can say it. But to other people, if you’re not published, then you’re not a writer. And it makes me feel like a failure, like I’m not good enough. And I know I shouldn’t let other people’s opinions get to me but sometimes it’s hard not to. And sometimes it’s my opinion too. All these years and nothing has been good enough to publish. I’ve come close, gotten many nice replies from magazines saying they liked my work but it just wasn’t right at the time. And that’s the hard part about writing. Writing the perfect piece, at the exact right moment for a specific publication. It can drive you insane. But I’ll keep moving forward and try to get better.

I think I got off track a little, that happens with this brain of mine. What I really want to say is that the overwhelming, beautiful response I got from all of you yesterday has made my confidence sky rocket. You have no idea how happy and proud I felt yesterday, so thank you for that. I write a lot of different things. Short stories, songs, essays and I even have the start of two novels, but one is crap and needs to be started over, which I will do, because I believe I can. And now, more than ever, I want to. In between posts I might share some of my other work with you and please don’t ever hesitate to give an honest opinion. I can’t get better if I don’t know what isn’t working.

I appreciate each and every one of you for all of the love and support you have given me. It didn’t go unnoticed and I will take it with me every time I put pen to paper.

Author: Lisa Ricco

I am a wife, a mother and a writer. Fear has held me back for too long and has robbed me of too much. Now is the time to take back control of my life. View all posts by Lisa Ricco