I’m not the best person to reach, or to even talk to for very long, on the phone. I blame that a little on doing phone support at Intuit for a little over three years. I am also a fairly solitary person in the first place, and an introvert. I’m just not a big phone guy.

Despite that, it was enjoyable late last week when I connected with my brother and sister-in-law on the phone, and talked to each of their kids for a little while as well. It had been probably half a year since I talked to them, to my blame. But it was the holidays and conversation was due.

I spent the most kid time talking with my younger niece, if only because we are somewhat similar- melancholic middle kids- and we yack easily together. That being the case, I think all three of them know I love them each a lot. I spent the least time talking to the youngest. Always working on something in his head or playing with some toy, he had to get back to play time, but he thanked me for his Christmas gift.

Before I talked with their oldest, I had talked for a little while with my brother, and he let me know she was keeping up with a hobby or pastime she had started earlier in the year. She was writing a story about her life there.

And my dad had also let me know about her project several months ago when he went and found and brought me the printed-out pages of what she had written so far and let me read them.

Wow, I thought as I read her tale. She’s really working on something neat here.

Faith is 14, and for whatever reason, unprovoked, she decided to write a story (which is partly her story) of a girl who picks up and moves away from the familiar with her family and experiences a lot of new things and places and feelings. And the nice thing in Faith’s writing is she does basic storytelling well. Her chapters are short and mostly focused. Her descriptions are simple and clear. And her reflections are genuine.

So, while talking to my brother about her, he pauses, and then tells me that they had lately been looking for a mentor for her, someone who could encourage her and coach her, and maybe help her see some ways to improve her writing. “We didn’t really find anyone here”, he tells me. And then, there it was.

“Would you do it?”

It’s an excuse for me to talk to one of my nieces more- and to be more involved in her life. I would love that.

I hesitate. In lots of ways I feel behind her in my own development. I hack at a blog. That’s my credentials.

“No- you are a great writer”, he tells me.

I’ve taken enough classes on creative writing, no doubt. And certainly I’ve read (skimmed) enough creative writing books.

“Yes. I’d love to.”

“Alright! Let me go get Faith, and you can talk to her about it…” And we talk briefly about it, and she is happy, and I am happy, and her mom and dad are happy, and we decide we will start soon.

And after we hang up, I think, what do I have to teach her, which won’t frustrate her? I worry I might frustrate her.

And I hear lesson one come to me inside.

Be yourself.

That’s a good place to start.

First off, Faith, be yourself.

Writing is an act of courage. People may love what you write, or hate it, or completely ignore it, but inside yourself, write what you want to say, and wrap your heart around it. And be at peace with it, and feel good about it.

If you can love what you end up saying and have no need to apologize for it, you will have climbed a giant mountain a lot of writers do not climb.

Because embracing what you say is also loving what you think and having the courage to say it out loud. And standing up in a world that does not always want people to stand up and be heard takes a lot of inner strength, and a lot of courage.

Be yourself, and have courage.

I hope I can share that with her right.