Skip to content

Pre-order my debut book, "If I Don't Laugh, I'll Cry"

Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube Email
Still Being Molly
  • Home
  • About
  • Podcast
  • Blog
  • Book
  • Speaking
  • Brands
  • Contact
Buy the book

Pre-order my debut book, "If I Don't Laugh, I'll Cry"

Still Being Molly

How Writing a Letter Changed a Life with Amy W. Daughters and Dana Rivera | EP. 339 Can I Laugh On Your Shoulder? Podcast

How Writing a Letter Changed a Life with Amy W. Daughters and Dana Rivera | EP. 339 Can I Laugh On Your Shoulder? Podcast

Listen to the episode...
0.75x
1x
1.25x
1.5x
2x
0:00
...
  • How Writing a Letter Changed a Life with Amy W. Daughters and Dana Rivera | EP. 339 Can I Laugh On Your Shoulder? Podcast
Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsPlayer EmbedShare
Leave a ReviewListen in a New WindowDownloadSoundCloudStitcherSubscribe on AndroidSubscribe via RSSSpotify

My guests this week are Amy Daughters and Dana Rivera. Amy is a native Houstonian and a graduate of The Texas Tech University who has been a freelance writer for more than a decade—mostly covering college football and sometimes talking about her feelings.

Amy’s debut novel, You Cannot Mess This Up: A True Story That Never Happened (She Writes Press, 2019), was selected as the Silver Winner for Humor in the 2019 Foreword INDIES and the Overall Winner for Humor/Comedy in the 2020 Next Generation Indie Awards.

Dana has been teaching 31 years and has 5 children and 6 grandchildren. She enjoys the beach, running, reading, LSU and spending time with her family. She is writing her first book, “This Is Not What I Expected.”

You might be wondering, how are these people related? Years ago, Amy wanted to reach out to her old friend Dana and learned that Dana’s son had terminal cancer. Their friendship was rekindled after decades, just because of a handwritten letter.

4:47 – Dana 101

  • She is retired from public school after teaching reading for many years.
  • Dana is a grandmother and PE teacher. She considers it her dream job.

6:55 – Amy 101

  • She has lived in the Midwest and overseas.
  • She mostly writes about college football, but also writes about her feelings.

10:41 – Dear Dana

  • Amy wrote a book, “Dear Dana: That time I went crazy and wrote all 580 of my Facebook friends a handwritten letter.”
  • More than 30 years ago, Amy and Dana met at a summer camp in Trinity, Texas. They were counselors together for six weeks.
  • They reconnected years later, and Amy found out Dana’s son had cancer. Amy started writing her letters.

14:08 – Letters from a friend

  • Dana was shocked that Amy was sending her the nicest cards.
  • Amy wrote letters for several weeks before Dana’s son Parker passed away at age 15.

29:23 – Lost art of letter writing

  • Amy decided to write letters to all of her Facebook friends.

32:32 – What can others learn?

  • Try to rekindle the lost art of letter writing.
  • It can be tough to write to someone who is grieving. Often, we don’t know what to do or how to respond.

51:01 – Feeling a nudge

  • Connecting with people is so important. When you feel a nudge to do it, go for it.
  • Challenge yourself – send a handwritten note to two people.

55:35 – Get to know you

  • Last time they cried? When they leave each other after a visit.

FEATURED QUOTES

I mostly write about college football, and I sometimes write about my feelings. – Amy

I believe that every letter that left my outgoing mail is a credit back to my connection to Dana and to Parker. – Amy

Amy created a safe space for me to say this sucks, what in the world is going on? The outpouring of sharing came because she created a safe space. – Dana

https://www.amydaughters.com/

https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Dana-Facebook-friends-handwritten/dp/1647429005

Get some encouragement in your inbox!

Subscribe

* indicates required

Spam texts are like a box of chocolates… I just start replying with Forrest Gump quotes ‘til they leave me alone. #spamtexts #lifeislikeaboxofchocolates

66 9
Open
Spam texts are like a box of chocolates… I just start replying with Forrest Gump quotes ‘til they leave me alone. #spamtexts #lifeislikeaboxofchocolates

He is risen indeed! ✝️

256 12
Open
He is risen indeed! ✝️

It’s wild out here in these pollen streets. #thepollening 🤧

51 2
Open
It’s wild out here in these pollen streets. #thepollening 🤧

🎊 ONE WHOLE YEAR 🎉

My debut memoir, “If I Don’t Laugh, I’ll Cry” has been out in the world for one whole year today. Writing this book was hard and holy work, and it’s been such a joy to see how many of you have laughed, cried, and laughed till you cried.

Thank you for the support of this book. ❤️

If you’ve read it, would you do me a *huge* favor and leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads? And would you share the book with a friend or on social media? It would mean the world to me.

And if you haven’t picked up a copy or downloaded the audiobook yet, what are you waiting for? 😉

#ifidontlaughillcry #iidlic #nelsonbooks

86 12
Open
🎊 ONE WHOLE YEAR 🎉 

My debut memoir, “If I Don’t Laugh, I’ll Cry” has been out in the world for one whole year today. Writing this book was hard and holy work, and it’s been such a joy to see how many of you have laughed, cried, and laughed till you cried. 

Thank you for the support of this book. ❤️

If you’ve read it, would you do me a *huge* favor and leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads? And would you share the book with a friend or on social media? It would mean the world to me. 

And if you haven’t picked up a copy or downloaded the audiobook yet, what are you waiting for? 😉 

#ifidontlaughillcry #iidlic #nelsonbooks

Nine is fine! Happy birthday to the sweetest, kindest, funniest, smartest, best basketball playing boy we know! We love you, buddy roe!

76 3
Open
Nine is fine! Happy birthday to the sweetest, kindest, funniest, smartest, best basketball playing boy we know! We love you, buddy roe!

13 years of being married to the best man I know. Life with you is more than I ever could have dreamed. I love you, J. 🤍 #happyanniversary

📷 @katelynjames

165 9
Open
13 years of being married to the best man I know. Life with you is more than I ever could have dreamed. I love you, J. 🤍 #happyanniversary 

📷 @katelynjames

And the people of God said… AMEN!

#leviticus #allfatisthelords #biblerecap #biblehumor

276 36
Open
And the people of God said… AMEN! 

#leviticus #allfatisthelords #biblerecap #biblehumor

I often wonder if he’d be a red head like Amos or if he’d be musically gifted like Lilly.

Would he love snuggling or be a boy who only wanted hugs on his terms?

Would his eyes be brown like his dad’s or would he be covered in freckles?

What would his laugh sound like? Who would be his best friend? What would his favorite book be? Would he say Gen Alpha slang words like sigma and skibidi or would he love his mom too much to do that?

Would I be mommy or mama or mom to him?

So many questions I won’t get to answers to on this side of heaven. But I think about him today, just like every day, and I hope he’s getting a slice of strawberry cake for his heavenly birthday.

7 years. 🤍 #elijahtimothy

385 14
Open
I often wonder if he’d be a red head like Amos or if he’d be musically gifted like Lilly. 

Would he love snuggling or be a boy who only wanted hugs on his terms? 

Would his eyes be brown like his dad’s or would he be covered in freckles?

What would his laugh sound like? Who would be his best friend? What would his favorite book be? Would he say Gen Alpha slang words like sigma and skibidi or would he love his mom too much to do that? 

Would I be mommy or mama or mom to him?

So many questions I won’t get to answers to on this side of heaven. But I think about him today, just like every day, and I hope he’s getting a slice of strawberry cake for his heavenly birthday. 

7 years. 🤍 #elijahtimothy

Our annual “we don’t just wear farm clothes” outing. #aewsos2025 #advisorsexcel

325 28
Open
Our annual “we don’t just wear farm clothes” outing. #aewsos2025 #advisorsexcel

It had to be done. #babygoats #circleoflife #lionking

71 7
Open
It had to be done. #babygoats #circleoflife #lionking
Follow on Instagram
  • Home
  • About
  • Podcast
  • Blog
  • Book
  • Speaking
  • Brands
  • Contact

© 2025 Still Being Molly - WordPress Theme by Kadence WP

  • Home
  • About
  • Podcast
  • Blog
  • Book
  • Speaking
  • Brands
  • Contact
  • Home
  • About
  • Podcast
  • Blog
  • Book
  • Speaking
  • Brands
  • Contact