Stressing About Structure

I want my memoir to be composed of miniature essays about lessons I learned during my illness. These chapters include narratives and experiences and quotes, but they are not necessarily chronological. After writing the first few chapters of my memoir in this format, I started to panic... How do I know if the reader will be confused by this format? Will he/she be able to understand what is going on if I don't outline my stories chronologically? I have no idea.

So, before I wrote anymore in this style, I started to ask my close friends/family to read some of my pieces. I even brought up this concern in my memoir seminar to see if my class and/or teacher had any thoughts. All of their feedback was crucial. Not only did I get confirmation from multiple different readers that they understood my story, but my memoir classmates made it clear that I should continue writing in this non-chronological style because the chaos and factors of unknown mirror my reality during my illness.

So, moving forward, I learned to go with my gut because when writing a memoir about myself, I am my best source. The truer the story is to the experience, the more the reader will connect with the book, even if they have no similar experiences in their life because they connect with the author. I also know that asking others to read my pieces and give me their feedback helps to quell my panic and fear of the unknown.