To say thank you to my amazing readers, I created this Reader Extras section to accompany the story. Inside, you’ll find reflections on what inspired it, journal prompts, and a printable coloring page.

I hope these resources encourage you to think about the people who have shown you kindness when life felt overwhelming, and the opportunities we all have to do the same for others.

Downloads below!

The Courage to Stay

Reflections on Overwhelm, Understanding, and the Legacy of Kindness

There are certain people who remain part of our story long after we’ve left their classroom, workplace, church, or even the kitchen table.

Years pass, and details fade. We forget entire conversations, yet somehow we remember how they treated us when we were struggling.

Most of the time, they aren’t the loudest people in the room. They aren’t the ones seeking recognition. They’re simply the people who slowed down long enough to notice.

Looking back, what stands out isn’t that these people always had the perfect words. It’s that they chose grace in moments when frustration would have been understandable. Sometimes judgment would have been easier. Sometimes, by the world’s standards, it might have even seemed deserved. Yet they chose kindness anyway.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed that many of the people who shaped my life didn’t do anything particularly dramatic. They weren’t trying to become part of my story. In fact, I doubt most of them even realized the impact they were having at the time.

Small moments rarely feel important while we’re living them. Yet years later, those are often the ones we remember.

That’s part of what inspired Different Isn’t Broken.

Like many families, ours has experienced moments of overwhelm. Some of those moments were shaped by neurodivergence. Others came from stress, uncertainty, grief, or simply being human. The details may look different, but the feeling is often the same. The world becomes too much.

What I’ve learned is that understanding doesn’t always require the perfect response. Most of the time, people aren’t asking us to fix everything. They’re simply hoping someone will notice. Someone who will stay long enough to help them find their footing again.

I think that’s why kindness matters so much. Not because it solves every problem, but because it reminds us that we don’t have to face every difficult moment alone.

Continue the Conversation

One of the things I love most about stories is that they often leave us with better questions that answers.

Who helped you find your footing when life felt overwhelming? What small act of kindness have you carried with you for years? Is there someone whose impact on your life was far greater than they ever realized?

One Last Thing

If Different Isn’t Broken resonated with you, I’d be honored if you’d leave a review on Amazon or your favorite book review site. Even a sentence or two helps other thoughtful readers find it. You can also share the story with someone who might need its message.

And if you’re new to my stories, Different Isn’t Broken is an Amazon short read that’s perfect for a coffee break with a touch of inspiration.

Download your Different Isn’t Broken Journal Prompts below! These guided questions invite you to reflect on your own experiences with overwhelm, understanding, and kindness. You can also download and print the coloring page below, a simple way to reflect and unwind while revisiting the story’s themes.

I hope these Reader Extras encourage you to reflect on the people who have shaped your story and the ways you might shape someone else’s.

If you’d like more reflections, stories, and creative prompts, stay subscribed to Reader Extras. There’s more to come. There are always more stories waiting to be told.

Until next time, keep writing, reflecting, and Live Your Lore.

~Eliza June Sapphire

Legacy Reflecting On Your Lore

3.87MB ∙ PDF file

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The flash fiction piece follows a young girl named Lila during a school fire drill. What is a routine event for everyone else quickly becomes overwhelming. Frozen in place, she feels like she’s drowning beneath the noise, lights, and chaos around her. While the rest of the class files out, one teacher stays behind.

At its heart, this story is about something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately: how easy it is to judge what we don’t understand, and how powerful it can be when someone chooses patience instead.

Our family is deeply and and beautifully neurodivergent, which certainly shaped this story. But the more I wrote, the more I realized it wasn’t only about neurodivergence. It’s about overwhelm. It’s about grace. It’s about the people who stay beside us when life feels too loud.

The title comes from a simple truth I hope readers take with them:

Different Isn’t Broken.

I’ve narrowed the cover options down to four possibilities, and now I’d love your feedback.

Which cover would make you most likely to stop scrolling and click?

Vote in the Poll Below!

I’d love to hear why you chose the cover you did. Sometimes the comments are even more helpful than the vote itself.

Thank you for helping me bring this story into the world.

Legacy

What Legacy Means in Everyday Life

Reflections on Identity, Impact, and the Stories We Inherit

We tend to think of legacy as something grand—names on buildings, foundations started, businesses passed down. But sometimes, legacy is the weight you feel when you look in the mirror and wonder if you’re becoming someone you chose, or someone you were told to be.

In my short story Legacy, we meet Cathy Holloway, a woman walking a tightrope between loyalty and selfhood. As the daughter of a powerful, self-made businesswoman, Cathy’s story explores the quiet tension many of us carry:

Am I living a life of my own choosing… or one that someone else defined for me?

The Mirror Test

One of my favorite moments in Legacy is when Cathy’s coach asks her a simple but loaded question:

What do you like about yourself?

She stumbles, like so many of us do, defaulting to her resume instead of her soul.

This moment sparked a realization for me: legacy isn’t about what we achieve, but who we become, and what parts of ourselves we choose to carry forward.

So today, I invite you to take your own “mirror moment.” Who do you see when you strip away expectations, titles, and to-do lists? What would your ideal day look like—not your productive one, your true one?

If You Connected with Legacy, You Might Also Enjoy

Signal Moon by Kate Quinn. A great read for fans of legacy across time, connection, and brief, powerful storytelling.

One Last Thing

If Legacy stirred something in you, I’d be honored if you left a short review on Amazon or your favorite book review site. Even a sentence or two helps other thoughtful readers find it.

And if you’re new to my stories, Legacy is a 15-minute read—perfect for a coffee break with a touch of soul-searching.

Download your Legacy Journal Prompts below! These guided questions invite you to explore your own legacy and how your story continues to unfold. You can also download and print the coloring page below—a simple way to reflect and unwind while revisiting the story’s themes.

I hope these Reader Extras help you reflect on your own “living legacy.” If you’d like more behind-the-scenes reflections and creative prompts, stay subscribed to Reader Extras—there’s more to come.

Until next time, keep writing, reflecting, and Live Your Lore.

~Eliza June Sapphire

Legacy Reflecting On Your Lore

80MB ∙ PDF file

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I’m Eliza June Sapphire—writer, dreamer, and collector of stories that live beyond the page. Whether you arrived here through a curious click, a whispered recommendation, or a breadcrumb trail of books and blog posts, I’m so glad you did.

This newsletter is an extension of my heart and creative life. Think of it as a campfire circle where we swap tales, sip metaphorical coffee, and remember that our stories matter.

Here, you’ll find:

✨ Behind-the-scenes glimpses into my published and upcoming stories
📚 Reflections on storytelling, creativity, and living with intention
📝 Printable journal prompts and reader extras to spark your own lore
🐺 Occasional sneak peeks
💬 Honest thoughts about the messy, magical middle of being human

Whether I’m sharing a werewolf’s emotional reckoning (Ravenwood), a humorous family disaster (The Great Noodle Meltdown), or inspiration in just a few pages (Legacy), everything I write aims to do one thing:
Remind you that your story is powerful.

This is more than just a newsletter—it’s a conversation. And I’d love for you to be part of it.

So welcome, fellow lorekeeper.
Let’s explore a life worth remembering—together.

With wonder and warmth,
EJ🌙
Live Your Lore