“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
Maya Angelou
I came across this quote by Maya Angelou recently and it really struck a chord with me. I hope it will with you as well.
I think all writers have been affected by the malady of bearing an untold story inside them in one way or another, and I believe in part, it is this agony that drives us to continue writing day after day, month after month, and year after year without end in sight.
Alongside that quote, there is another phrase that has been on my mind recently. It was originally shared by James Edward McCulloch, and it is something that I strive to live by ever since I heard it.
“No other success in the world can compensate for failure in the home.”
James Edward McCulloh
I have been thinking about both of those sentences recently due to the sudden death of a dear friend. She was always full of life and encouragement, and the tragedy that took her life left all who knew her with a deep sense of how fleeting and unpredictable life is.
I’ve come to realize in the last few years that as much as I am tortured by the agony of bearing all my untold stories inside me. I would be even more tortured by the agony of failing to love the people I care about while I still can, and finding myself unable to do so later because of changing circumstances.
As a writer, I have to keep writing. Keep bearing my untold stories. But as a whole human being, I have to remember to love those who matter more than all the stories in the world combined. They are what matters most, and no amount of untold stories could ever replace them.
What is your greatest agony?
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Melissa Muhlenkamp 