I’m excited to announce that an essay I wrote in a recent writing class taught by Christi Craig was published on Grown & Flown, a website and blog for parents of teens who are preparing for college and beyond.

My essay, which started with a prompt to write about tension, is about attending a Hippo Campus concert with my college-age daughter. While it’s partially about me feeling uncomfortable at the concert, it’s also about the power or music and the tension of parenting and letting go. 

This essay is this is the most personal sort of thing I’ve had published – it was a bit scary sending it out for consideration, let alone having it published – so I’ve been delighted to get so much positive feedback about it! Friends have posted links to it on their Facebook pages and it’s received many “likes” and shares and lovely comments. In addition, I was greatly surprised to discover that my essay was discovered by the parents of the guys in the Hippo Campus band and shared at their private Facebook page. Two of the Hippo Campus dads even wrote to me to tell me how much they loved my essay!! Amazing!

I would not have gotten this essay out into the world without my daughter’s permission. Thanks, Rose, for your willingness to let me write about us and share what I’ve written. Special thanks, too, to my writing friend Joy Riggs, for encouraging me to send my essay out and to writing teachers/mentors, Kate Hopper and Kaethe Schwehn, for further encouraging me to do so.

And, of course, THANK YOU to Grown & Flown for running my essay and for featuring it in your weekly newsletter!

Click here to read my essay: “The Song ‘Buttercup’ By Hippo Campus Saved My Teen and I’m Grateful“

If you want to read more, check out these Grown & Flown essays written by writer friends of mine: Joy Riggs, Heidi Fettig Parton and Ann Klotz,

• Joy’s essay: How to launch your 22-year old daughter in seven days.
• Heidi’s essay: My daughter is strong: Me? Not so much
• Ann’s essay: Growing Paperwhites at Christmas Reminds me of when I was in college