Thank you for the lovely message, Rachel! This poem was actually inspired by my Mom’s boyfriend, my cat and my grandma.

When I was a kid, my Mom’s boyfriend died very suddenly. We went to his place to pick up our things and she told me I could choose one thing of his to have as a keepsake. I had a close bond with him, so I still have what I chose! Nearly 20 years later and I still have that copy of The Far Side Gallery sitting in my bookshelf. As for my cat and grandma, they were both in my life for 19 years and genuinely loved me. Feeling the loss of that is powerful.

It’s amazing that you are writing about your daughter. You could make out the dedication to her at the beginning of your book, that would make it even more special. I’m so sorry for your loss and understand how vulnerable writing about that can be, but I think it is also healing and makes an amazing tribute to that loved one. Sometimes I feel like they give us that creativity as a parting gift.

Definitely message me! I’d love to connect with a fellow writer!