I got my 72-year old mom on Substack

My mom has her own Substack, called Young Again. She'll share her perspectives and insights from her life.

Today’s newsletter is sort of a follow-up to last week’s, about how to get started with a new project when you’re already so busy. I also think it’s about helping others in your life who may need it (for my mom, it was not knowing how to use Substack).

When I asked my mom what she wanted to call her Substack, she immediately said, “Young Again,” which I thought was pretty clever. It’s a play on her name, Young.

Here is her first piece about communication.

A recent photo of my mom.

I suppose I started my editing career long ago when my mom asked me to edit the grammar and mistakes in her writing. I was in high school, and she started taking writing classes. Some classes were requirements for her AA degree, others were for an early childhood education certification.

My mom’s graduation photo.

Back then, I admired her for wanting to learn how to write and still do.

Why Substack and why now? 

Whenever I visit my folks, my mom and I talk a lot about my newsletters on Substack, my memoir, and the recordings of my parents that I’m turning into podcasts. She says writing is a gift and I should be thankful to have found meaning in my creative endeavors. I agree. 

In these conversations, she expresses her own desire to start writing again but isn’t sure how to start. She takes care of my dad, who has health issues due to complications from diabetes. Between helping my dad get around, cooking three meals a day, and shuffling him to doctors appointments and surgeries, her days are hectic. You wake up, then suddenly it’s time to go to bed. I also feel the days pass by way too quickly, and the only person I need to care for is myself (and my dog)!

After months of “I want to write, but I don’t know where to start,” I finally ask my mom if I could create a Substack for her, so she can at least have a platform to start writing and put her work “out there.” 

I tell her to just start writing because a lot of times, that’s the hardest part. 

She wonders if anyone would read her stuff. Who would be interested in what a 72-year-old Korean lady would want to say? I tell her I’m certain she can find an audience who will be engaged with her Substack. And even if she doesn’t, she can still write and share her musings with friends and family. The folks in her senior community and church have email addresses. All they have to do is subscribe.

My mom’s text messages

My mom’s written words have been a part of my life for as long as she’s been text messaging on her phone.

I wrote about her text messages years ago on Claire’s Holiday, my travel blog (that I moved to Substack). I devoted an entire blog to it because her messages are like tiny bursts of sunshine. I called it “Momfidence,” because her words are powerful, funny, wise, and encouraging. 

Young Again

I don’t know about you, but the older I get, the more I seem to gravitate to older people. The comfortable way they move through life, their “good enough” attitudes, their wisdom… tell me I have a lot to learn. It’s probably why I follow

Oldster Magazine

and read memoirs from Nora Ephron and David Sedaris.

I imagine my mom’s essays will be sort of like longer versions of her text messages—her insights—from the hardships of working tirelessly for her adult life, her devotion to God, and dealing with a son in prison, to the lessons and beauty she has experienced as a mom, wife, and friend.

Plus, I’d be hard-pressed to find other 70-something-year-old Korean ladies who are writing on Substack, in English. 🙃

Getting started is tough

At first, I was planning on showing my mom how to publish on Substack on her own, but then I thought, will she actually write and post? It reminded me of how I felt when I trudged through finishing my podcast because I hated figuring out Garageband.

She knows how to do a few basics online, like sending emails, but her skills are limited.

I wanted it to be frictionless and just have her focus on writing, so I told her I would publish her essays. All she has to do is send them to me in an email.

I also said I would lightly edit her typos and grammar since I know non-native English speakers are sensitive about these things. Personally, I kind of like the typos because it adds to the authenticity, but that’s just me.

Subscribe to Young Again

My mom has always shared excellent advice and insight with me, so I figured Young Again would be her way to amplify her thoughts with a larger community.

Check out her Substack and share your comments to let her know what you thought!

More stories…