I like to think I’m not the only one who would turn into a deer in headlights—but with more mindless blathering—upon meeting one of the greats of children’s book writing, Judy Blume. Thankfully, Judy was there to make the whole thing way less awkward than it could have been. She asks questions that put you at ease with her genuine interest; tells you when to take the picture and where the light is best. Generously signs her millionth book as if it’s her first.  

Judy Blume is a household name. She’s an icon and an idol. Her books are firmly woven into the consciousness of so many of our childhoods. We laughed along with the sibling antics of Peter and Fudge and were rightfully horrified at the girl-power bullying dynamics of Blubber. But I suspect for many of us women of-a-certain-age, the book that still resonates most is Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. It tackled big things—religion, friendship, and yes, getting your period. And, like Margaret in the book, spoke directly to us. This book was unlike any other out there and was just what we needed. Like a cherished aunt, Judy helped guide us through a messy, confusing time in our development. She met us where we were and made us feel okay—which is what the best children’s books do. Tell you it’s okay to be young or weird or wiggly or confused or sad or just plain silly.

In this quote from an article in Architectural Digest (Jan 2013), Judy explains her own childhood: “I grew up in the 1950s, and I didn’t like any part of it,” she says. “We were expected to be happy girls from happy families—to fit in, to be normal. We pretended everything was okay even when we knew it wasn’t.” This is the beauty of Judy Blume’s writing. She doesn’t pretend. She keeps it very real . . . and messy and sad and funny and thoughtful. Her sense of empathy and realness shines through when you meet her. She also continues to foster the careers of others through gestures small and large. She asked me to sign my copy of my book for their store and put it in a better location, telling me “people will pick this up.” Judy and her husband also run a non-profit studio, residency, and performance space for artists in Key West.

Meeting Judy Blume and having her hold my book in her hands, will be tough to beat. I joke that I’ve peaked, but the truth is I’ve just begun. And thanks to women like Judy Blume, the bar is high and the path is full of possibilities.