Friday Speak Out!: Writing From the Heart, Guest Post by Christine Molloy

Writing From the Heart

by Christine Molloy

I am a writer. There, I said it. It has taken some time to come to that realization as becoming a writer was something that I thought would happen, someday. What I didn’t quite realize is that as I was trying to become a writer, I already was one.

I dabbled in writing when I was younger, writing a poem here and there or writing meaningful, heartfelt messages in greeting cards to my friends and family. One time I wrote a personal essay about a patient I took care of when I was working as a nurse and miracle of all miracles, it was actually published in a popular nursing magazine. I enjoyed the writing process but never took the time to fully devote myself to it. Other things got in the way such as work, friends, home improvement projects, and my marriage.

Then everything changed several years ago. I lost my job, my home, and my marriage. I was battling some very complicated health issues which recently were correctly diagnosed as an autoimmune disorder called Sjogren’s syndrome. It took over twenty specialists and three and a half years to get an official diagnosis. During a lot of this time, I was unable to participate in life as I was used to. I was unable to work. The result of all these events was that I had a lot of free time on my hands. Stress and frustration over my health and limitations consumed me on a daily basis.

That was, until I started to write. In April 2010, I began a blog entitled Thoughts and Ramblings on Life, Love, and Health in which I wrote about a variety of topics, mostly life lessons that I was learning along the path of my life falling apart and then the journey of trying to rebuild it. It was then that I REALLY found my passion for writing. When I was putting down my thoughts, feelings, and opinions, the words would flow from my head onto the paper. I worked very hard to keep my blog posts realistic, but yet with a positive message. What I found was that by doing that, it helped me to keep an optimistic attitude about my own situation.

My passion for writing was further fueled by my reader’s responses to the various blog entries. Whenever I would receive a comment or feedback about how what I wrote helped a person in some way, I felt like my life had a purpose again. Finally, my life consisted of more than doctor’s appointments, tests, and phone battles with insurance companies. Through writing, I have been able to do some healing emotionally, physically, and spiritually from the chaotic circumstances of the last few years.

Becoming a writer has filled the voids of space in my days, my mind, and my heart. Through words, I have been able to reconnect with life and myself again. For that, I am quite grateful.


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Christine Molloy is a writer and registered nurse who lives in Massachusetts. She is a member of the Northern Connecticut Writer's Workshop MeetUp Group and enjoys writing essays and short fiction. More of Christine's work can be seen on her blog: Thoughts and Ramblings on Life, Love, and Health (http://www.christinemolloy.com).

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Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!
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