My PS I Love You Postscript
On unexpectedly closed doors and new opportunities
“Whatever happens to you, don’t fall in despair. Even if all the doors are closed, a secret path will be there for you that no one knows. You can’t see it yet but so many paradises are at the end of this path…Be grateful! It is easy to thank after obtaining what you want, thank before having what you want.” ~ Rumi
In case you haven’t heard, Medium publication PS I Love You is leaving the platform due to partnership program defunding. As of yet, we aren’t sure if it will continue off-platform or simply become defunct. While I have mixed feelings about this announcement from a business standpoint, I am wholeheartedly feeling hurt for the kind human editors and behind-the-scenes people at PSILY. I wish we could give you all a big hug.
I counted — and PSILY currently houses 63 of my creative endeavors — from fiction to personal essays to poetry. And, that’s where they’ll stay. Thank you, PSILY.
Many writers I admire have contributed to PSILY over the years, including but not limited to: Jessica Wildfire, Felicia C. Sullivan, Dan Moore • Blogger, Tre L. Loadholt, Kay Bolden, Scott Muska, Carolyn Riker, Elle Beau ❇︎, Sarah Paris, Shanna Loga, Melissa Bee, Tracy Stengel, Galit Birk, PhD, Sarene B. Arias, Melissa Coffey, Kelly Eden, and Ash Jurberg. There are simply too many phenomenal contributing PSILY writers, columnists, and editors to list out here. I’m sure I will continue reading your unique voices elsewhere on the platform and I’m equally sure you are heartbroken by the announcement as well.
In June of 2020, Kay Bolden accepted my first submission to PSILY. It was a tongue-in-cheek personal essay about how I was going to learn to twirl nipple tassels like a burlesque dancer to embrace body positivity. She pointed out that I was possibly making light of a serious issue and asked me to dig deeper. Listen to editors, y’all. I dug deeper — and, this is still one of my top favorite personal essays.
Tre L. Loadholt took a chance on publishing my 20-part novella in PSILY on Fiction Friday. This was not standard for the publication and I knew it was a privilege — one I’ll always be grateful to have been given.
This is the story that kicked it off. Tre was interested from the beginning and left me encouraging notes throughout the series. This entire series was inspired by a meditation with my spiritual teacher at the time who helped guide me into moving stuck energy by observing water and creating my own water rituals.
My highest earning piece of fiction is from this magical realism series featuring the married couple, Gabriella and Aleks, who find they start growing wings…This story’s title must draw in readers and then they stay. It tends to get reads every day:
My personal favorite chapter of this novella takes place at a dinner party. I was excited to use the cover art as my inspiration while writing.
My all-time most popular poem — the only piece of mine that I’ve seen in the Trending on Medium section — is housed in PSILY.
PSILY helped me process my 20-year-relationship with my now-husband, David. When I was writing the following article, he found me on the bedroom floor, deep in an old box of love letters he didn’t know I’d saved. At first he was taken aback, but he quickly came to accept it. I’m still glad I held onto these letters. They helped me process a relationship that I didn’t have the skills to process at the time it was happening or when it ended.
“Often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.” ~ Helen Keller
Sometimes that which seems devastating is actually an exciting new opportunity. I hope that everyone involved in running the PSILY publication finds great future success. We are rooting for you, Tre L. Loadholt, Kay Bolden, Dan Moore, and Scott Muska!
P.S. We love you!
Xoxo, Aimée Gramblin
