12 Comments
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Dennis G Rice's avatar

Very well-written, gripping memoir. Congratulations to the author for having the courage to put it out there for others to read. I wish her the best in both her professional and personal lives.

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Marla Cooper's avatar

What an amazing and moving set of events! So perfectly written, I’ll never forget this emotional roller coaster.

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Kaila Krayewski's avatar

Laura, what an incredible, brave story. Good for you for finding a way to publish this. I hope it was therapeutic to write. Thank you for sharing. I was in tears the whole time!

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Lisa Williamson Rosenberg's avatar

Congratulations to you for channeling your pain into something so powerful, courageous, and well-written. It speaks to your inner strength that you found the tools and the people to begin putting the puzzle pieces together.❤️

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Joyce Ling's avatar

This is stunningly written. Not just about what happened, but about how your internal journey transformed over time. I'm glad your story ends in hope; not everyone's does. Thank you for being so brave to share, even if you don't feel that way. Keep telling your story.

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Joy DeSomber's avatar

Heartbreaking and raw; I hope the writing helps with your long journey towards healing. I hope you are more familiar with happiness and feel at peace.

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Sandra de Quesada's avatar

Thank you for sharing your pain with us. I hope it has helped you heal.

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Christina Hughes Babb's avatar

Thank you. This was riveting and heartbreaking and I so hope that the writing brought you closer to peace.

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Manoj Narayanan's avatar

This was incredibly well written and heartbreaking. More strength to you!

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Abby Havermann's avatar

So glad you started writing. An unimaginable, heartbreaking, and beautiful story.

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Amy Brown's avatar

This essay gripped me, beautifully, vulnerably and honestly told. Such courage. I am so sorry for what happened to Laura and her father and her family. In sharing her trauma and grief so vividly and powerfully, she is no doubt helping others open up for healing, too. So deserving of its Grand Prize award!

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PEGGY SIJSWERDA's avatar

I’m so sorry for your loss, Laura. I experienced many of the same feelings and thought processes after my daughter drowned when she was 2. For many years, hearing sirens caused the memories to come flooding back. I wrote a memoir, and writing definitely helped me process the tragedy and my guilty feelings. Thank you for sharing this personal story of triumph. Best wishes in your writing career!

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