Facing Fear grew out of a period in my life when fear was my constant companion. My marriage of 30 years ended, and, with my children grown, I had to begin a new life alone, one that felt utterly empty of hope. It was easy for fear to take its place.
I am not a helpless person. But having been one of two for so long, small things felt like fresh disasters. When I traveled any distance, I worried my car would break down, and I’d be stranded—alone. When I went to the grocery store, I had panic attacks because I didn’t know how to shop for one. I feared the furnace would quit, that I’d lose my job, that I’d break an ankle, that a thousand other small calamities would descend because the biggest one of all had happened—the person I devoted my life to, left.
Over the course of the last three years, I’ve lived with this vast array of fears while journeying straight into the headwind of my grief. The grief has subsided, but my fear still arrives daily. Facing Fear is my way of loosening its grip on my life.
My promise to myself—and to you, dear reader:
My goal is to write a brief meditation once (sometimes twice) a week on one of the Bible’s 145-ish verses in which God or God working through people urges “Don’t be afraid.” I hope to discern some relevance for my modern-day fears.
I am deeply honored if you choose to subscribe. If you find the meditations worthwhile, please consider sharing Facing Fear with a friend.
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About me
I’m a memoirist, a writing teacher, and I have a day job. My essays and short stories have appeared in The Sun, Creative Nonfiction, Brevity, LitHub, Under the Gum Tree, The Clackamas Literary Review, Literary Mama, and elsewhere. You can find more of my writing on my website.
I have an MFA in creative writing, and I’ve taught dozens of writing workshops to students of all ages. I enjoy teaching the craft of writing and encouraging others to write their stories.
I grew up on a farm next to the Snake River Canyon on Idaho’s high desert, a place and experience that figures prominently in my writing. My immediate family includes my wonderful adult children and daughter-in-law, a circle of live-saving and life-giving friends, and a 14-year-old tuxedo cat named Luke.
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