Journal October 2026 Special DISPUK Release_Full Version - Flipbook - Page 78
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That made me think of my own husband, who, like Jens, is the father
of two girls, and how he, too, occasionally tosses them high—
sometimes higher than my nerves can handle—but never so high that
he doesn9t catch them. And never so high that they seriously doubt it.
Thank you for reminding me of the absolute wonder of being parents
with such a Golden Tower. When we sit down tonight to plan next
week9s schedule, I9ll remember to tell him that it9s something I truly
appreciate.
Best regards,
Olivia
The email took me fifteen minutes to write, not the usual five I would have spent
just going over the practical details.
When I read it now, there are undoubtedly things that could have been written
differently. Still, I work with a fair amount of discipline, aiming to keep an outsider
witness email to a maximum of twenty minutes to write—otherwise, I might be
afraid I won9t get it done next time.
When Lise replied, she had only one small correction to a quote. The rest of the
email was about something else: how happy she had been to read the last part of
my email. She wrote that she had been touched that I had noticed Jens9s way of
being a father and that since my email, she and her daughters had noticed and
put into words some of the many other stories about their husband and father
that also existed, but which perhaps hadn9t been given as much space in the years
following his illness and death.
Thank You for Putting It into Words
Lise9s story was vulnerable, but she wasn9t in a vulnerable position when the
article was published. Her story was met with sympathy. It certainly didn9t spark
How Journalists Can Tell Stories Without Making Sources More Vulnerable
Journal of Contemporary Narrative Therapy, October 2026 Special Release, p. 71-82
www.journalcnt.com