In between school carpools and planning Halloween parties, I started out writing professionally as a free-lance reporter for Pioneer Press Newspapers in the Chicagoland area. It was a rewarding opportunity to use a different area of my brain. I would interview the local vet, a doctor, the owners of a popular restaurant and cover speakers at various public venues.

When my son was older, I did take a full-time job with Legacy.com. This is the company which hosts obituary pages for newspapers, literally, around the world. I was intrigued by a medium which helped people connect on a global scale; a still relatively new concept in 2007. So, I gravitated into customer service management.

After moving from Chicago to Florida’s Space Coast, I began the blog to hold onto the stories and situations I was now facing helping my elderly mother. I had hopes of creating a communal platform with tips and helpful conversations about coping with an aging parent. But I got cancer instead. I decided to write about that. Life loves throwing a curveball. Since then, the blog has shifted into stories that matter to me, feature pieces that satisfy my reporting side, interesting conversations and more. I like to offer a consistent variety.

One of my non-fiction essays was recently published in Story Circle Network’s 2022 “Real Women Write” Anthology. I have many more stories to tell.

Want to reach out? My email is shareastory@leavingthedooropen.com.

Twitter: @opendoorstories

Melanie McGauran ©