Suzanna Parpos: One 'yes' from an editor helped ignite writing passion

In a large room with nothing but a small, dark-stained wooden desk and fabric-covered swivel chair, I sat buried under legal documents. In desperation for the preservation of inner peace, I took a break from editing court documents for an upcoming hearing. I stopped writing the technical account of the destruction of a union and began writing the story of survival.

It was Preeclampsia Awareness Month ; I wanted to give voice to the life-threatening condition that occurs during pregnancy and the post-partum period — the condition I battled three days after my emergency C-section. Facts were entwined with the personal impact. After an eight-year writing hiatus, I submitted my story to a local paper. Two days later, I received an email from the editor, Phil: my piece would run in that week's edition.

My soul shifted in that initial email response from the newspaper's editor. It was less about the, "yes," of acceptance, and more about the specific feedback on my writing. Phil's words were the match that reignited a fire — the fire I let burn out while helping my partner fulfill his dreams.

I read somewhere that writing is the best drug, and for me, that was an absolute truth. One column turned into two; two turned into three, and ten years later it all culminated with my 239thcolumn and the letter penned to the Atlantic (Ocean).

Phil was the editor for the duration of the decade that I freelance wrote my bi-weekly column for my hometown paper. Phil was more than an editor; he was my mentor. His support and guidance encouraged me to let down my guard in the written word. Through this process, I became profoundly aware of the relationship between an author and her readers.

It took four months and eighteen columns to write my way "home," but in the nineteenth column, I found my voice in twenty-six boxes, a pair of boot cut jeans and the bitter wind of a late December afternoon. In the retelling of a moving day, I didn't realize I was finding my voice, but I was conscious of my mentor's words as I wrote the lament, praying that the release of guarded thoughts would bring solace.

Phil told me when writing details, to be precise and uncluttered; his feedback helped me hone my craft. As a good mentor does for a mentee, Phil fostered my confidence and readiness to break from the isolation of writing and bring readers to the real moment, rather than keep them at a distance in the recreation. I allowed myself to be vulnerable when writing about moving day and in doing so, found strength in baring life's unpretty moments.

Phil's mentorship guided me to find a sense of freedom. His trust in my ability nurtured creative risks, like trying stand-up comedy. He supported my desire for George-Plimpton-participatory-journalism pieces, and through those stories, I lived wildly and freely in my column, experiencing and retelling about ride-alongs with police and fire departments and the United States Postal Service, and about attending the National Guard's Individual Weapons Qualification at Joint Base Cape Cod and Drill Day with MA — Task Force 1.

Phil's support gave space for me to live boundless and weightless in new ventures, like horseback riding, boxing, ballroom dancing and aerial yoga. And when I wanted to give children the chance to experience writing's power, my mentor gave the green light. Through the "Take Over My Column" Contest I hosted in honor of National Encourage a Young Writer Day, this former Boston Public teacher taught elementary school students how writing can be a healthy outlet at any age.

How does one thank a person who helped bring light into darkness? Perhaps, she writes to tell the world about the invaluable imprint a mentor-mentee relationship can have on a life. Phil couldn't have known it when he ran my first column submission on preeclampsia's impact, but on that May day, he changed my life in a better and beautiful way.

Suzanna Parpos is a single mom and writer that works in the field of special education. Her essays have appeared in the Sunday Boston Globe Magazine, Worcester Magazine and several other publications. Find her at: suzannaparpos.com .

This article originally appeared on Worcester Magazine: First Person: Editor helped ignite columnist's passion for writing