I’m sorry this happened to you, Emily, and thank you for reaching out!

I have to admit, I’m surprised my open letter got this amount of traction, but I’m also pleasantly surprised that there were so many people (such as yourself) coming forward and leaving me messages such as this, messages that show me we are, in the end, not alone.

As weird as it sounds, hearing shared experiences from people such as yourself—people who can understand what it was like growing up with a parent who was inherently unstable—gives me a lot of hope. It makes me feel that maybe, just maybe, my writing is not for nothing after all. It makes me feel that should all else fail, at least I was able to reach out and touch somebody :,)

I’m glad this piece resonated with you, Emily. I wish you all the best, too.