Share One Thing
We invite you to contribute a letter, poem, text, or prayer, written to a teen or adult child who has chosen to cut you off.
It doesn't have to be polished or complete. Just give us one thing:
- One sentence you wish you could say and be certain they hear it
- One question you still carry
- One sweet memory or recurring nightmare
- One thing you wish other people understood or wouldn't say to you
- One thing you miss
- One thing you're angry about that you'd wouldn't ever say to them
- One thing you still hope for
Your submission can be anonymous. And you don't have to decide it belongs in the book we're building . Just send them.
You can also join our Private Facebook Group.
Themes & Ideas
You might write to express grief, anger, love, confusion, or all of these at once. Contradictions are normal and welcome here.
- Separation and rupture
- Longing and memory
- Anger and accountability
- Silence and ambiguity
- Attempts at repair
- Self-care, meaning-making, and resilience
- Radical acceptance and gifts of estrangement
- Inspiring and encouraging others
See Samples for inspiration (written by AI) and submission details.
Submission Guidelines
Please read this section and the Writing Disclaimer carefully before sending us your submission.
Content-
We may edit your submission lightly for clarity, while preserving your voice
Include background information or cultural context, if necessary
Please write from the heart, not a chat bot
You may submit more than once, especially if you address different aspects of estrangement, (see Themes, above.)
Logistics-
Your submission is also consent to publish
Not all submissions will be published
Submissions sent by standard mail will not be returned
WHAT TO SUBMIT
A letter, (poem, prayer, etc.) written to your child or to yourself about their estrangement
300–800 words
Optional: a brief context note (2–3 sentences)
WHO SHOULD SUBMIT
Parents who have lived experience with estrangement (partial or complete, current or in the past)
Therapists or clinicians (with anonymized composite or client-consented work)
ANONYMITY
Submissions will be published anonymously unless you request attribution of yourself (not your child) via a first name, pseudonym, or initials.
IMPORTANT NOTES
- Submissions may be lightly edited for clarity and cohesion
- Not all submissions will be included
- You will retain rights to your work; publication details will be shared if selected
- Submissions sent by standard mail will not be returned
QUESTIONS?