From Edie: Struggling to write during a difficult season? Discover practical ways to stay consistent, find strength in small wins, and keep moving forward even when life feels overwhelming.
by Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes @KHutch0767
There was a season in my life when everything felt stacked against me, yet it became the very time that taught me how to keep writing when life is at its hardest. I was a doctoral student at Arizona State University in Arizona, living in a state that felt both exciting and lonely. I had left behind my family and friends in New York and stepped into an entirely new world. Along with graduate studies, I was teaching a combined 4th- and 5th-grade class—bright, energetic children who deserved my very best, even on the days when I felt at my worst.
Financially, it was a sacrifice. I had taken a $20,000 pay cut to pursue my doctorate. At home, life wasn’t peaceful. My marriage was strained and dysfunctional, adding emotional weight to already heavy days. And then, in the midst of it all, I discovered I was pregnant while raising my grade-school daughter.
There were nights when discouragement felt like a thick fog. Writing my dissertation, this massive, scholarly book felt impossible. The idea of completing it while balancing teaching, motherhood, pregnancy, financial strain, and isolation seemed almost laughable.


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