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Twenty Nine

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When I saw the prompt for an essay contest a while back, I couldn’t get it out of my mind.

The prompt was this: write about a moment you would like to have back, to do differently if you could. Although there are many such moments in my life, it wasn’t hard to come up with the one I needed to write about. It lives beneath the surface of my daily life like a splinter under my skin, teaching a lesson I seem to  need to learn over and over again.

I wrote the essay and am honored to say that it was selected by Literary Mama to run in the Creative Nonfiction section of the December issue.  I share it here. If you are new to Literary Mama, I encourage you check it out. It is rich with beautiful, thought-provoking writing captured in reflections on literature, interviews, fiction, poetry, reviews, essays, and columns.

Without further ado, here is a link to my essay, “Twenty Nine.”

Why can’t I forget this? My son has long since forgiven me. We’ve had many happy days and have successfully navigated others marked by greater trauma or guilt. In fact, he does not remember the incident until I show him the picture. For this, I am grateful. Still, I believe there is a reason I need to remember. – See more at Literary Mana, “Twenty Nine.”

7 Comments

  1. What parent can’t relate to this? Betsy, you captured the unbridled joy, enthusiasm, and love that a child feels, coupled with the worries and depression that beleaguer adults whose dreams are unfulfilled — and when those things collide, as they do in your essay, the pain spills right off the page. You brought tears to my eyes.

  2. I’m not a mother, yet I feel as if I were there experiencing this 29th birthday with you. It is, indeed, a powerful and important story, but it’s your exceptional use of language that takes this event and places it in readers’ hearts. Another beautiful piece.

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