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The Best Rejection

Story ID:	3652
Written by:	Michael Timothy Smith
Story type:	OurEcho Community
Location:	Fort Lee NJ USA
Year:	2008
Person:	Me

To my fellow writers - many who have become friends - this is what we live for.

You're probably thinking, "The Best Rejection? We
live for rejections?"

Well, sometimes a rejection can be good.

The other day I received the best rejection letter I have ever received. I took the editor's words, learned from her, and submitted a couple stories
more appropriate to her magazine. She responded
favorably again and asked to hang onto one. She
may use the story about Easter on the shores
of Peggy's Cove next year. (It's on Our Echo and called "The Sun Has Risen")

This is what we live for. These are the words
I love to hear from an editor.

This is what she said.

Dear Mr. Smith,

Having just read your two submissions, I write you with joy and tears. Your stories are beautiful! You have a remarkable way of reflecting on your life with loving memories. Unfortunately I will not be able to use either of them in Alive Now, a bimonthly magazine of Christian spiritual formation. We approach life more from a social justice, expanding our faith horizons point of view. Some day soon we will have themes for 2009 posted on our web page. Www.upperroom/alivenow.org. Perhaps you will identify one for which you feel inspired to address. Our word limits are 400-500 words.

Thanks for making my day,
JoAnn Miller
Alive Now
1908 Grand Avenue
P.O. Box 340004 (Please note new address)
Nashville, TN 37203-0004

OurEcho is a FREE SERVICE dedicated to capturing and sharing the individual "bits and pieces" that define our local communities. It might be a bit of interesting local history, an old photograph, a special memory or just a funny story. We are particularly interested in those fascinating and intriguing events/people (both large and small) that we all encounter as part of the human experience. It might be something that happened recently or something passed down to you through your family. Our goal is to provide a forum for local communities to share who they are through their stories and photographs. When you take the time to share these reflection with others, you help us better understand you, the world we live in, and if we are lucky, they help us better understand ourselves.