When I was a little girl, I used to escape to my room and write in my diary. It was my sanctuary—a place where I could pour out my thoughts, fears, and dreams. I also drew in those diaries. Not all were happy pictures. One resembled Edvard Munch’s The Scream.
 

Revisiting those pages years later, while making my personal documentary Look at Us Now, Mother!, brought back waves of memory—like the time I wrote about wanting to be hit by a car so I’d end up in the hospital. I imagined that might be the only way to receive love and concern from my family instead of criticism and cruelty. My childhood was turbulent, and my diary was my safe space—until I found it opened on my bed.

I left home before I turned seventeen and began building a new life. I found support in close friendships, pursued creative work that gave me voice, and step by step, began to heal.
 

For much of my life, I felt deeply insecure about writing. I wasn’t a strong reader as a child—too distracted, always in fight-or-flight mode. In college, I majored in art and took one creative writing class. The professor was harsh, and his red-inked critiques left me convinced I had no talent.
 

Years later, I enrolled in a nonfiction writing class at The New School with Hayes Jacobs. This was pre-computer, and I’d handwrite my essays in Central Park on yellow legal pads, then type them up—painstakingly slowly. Jacobs also marked up my work but told me I had a great imagination and should keep writing. “Just get a good editor,” he said. I didn’t take his advice—at least not then.
 

It wasn’t until I was working in television in Los Angeles that I began writing in earnest. I’d option people’s life stories for film projects but couldn’t afford a screenwriter—so I became the writer. Since then, I’ve published many essays and articles, and now I’m returning to my roots in a powerful new way.
 

This September, my memoir, Bullied to Besties: A Daughter’s Journey to Forgiveness, will be released. It tells the raw, intimate story of how I transformed my relationship with my once-abusive mother into a deep friendship. If you’ve seen Look at Us Now, Mother!, you’ve had a glimpse of this story. But the book goes much deeper.

And while this memoir marks a milestone in my journey, last year was all about my mother. At 100 years old, she became a first-time author with the release of Mildred’s Mindset: Wisdom from a Woman Centenarian. The response was extraordinary. Now nearly 102, she continues to inspire people across generations with her humor, resilience, and outlook on aging. You can learn more about her book through the link on this page.

You can also read some of my personal stories by clicking the links here, and I invite you to subscribe to my Substack, where I’ve begun sharing even more. Once I get a breather from all things Mom, I’ll be posting new stories regularly.
 

And if you’re reading this, consider picking up a pen. Journaling has been shown to benefit not only mental health but physical well-being. It’s helped me survive—and thrive.

💜
—Gayle