Category: hope
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A Graduation Speech Do-Over
On a balmy Georgia night twenty years ago, I stood behind a podium on the temporary stage erected on my high school’s football field. Wearing a purple robe and mortarboard, my dyed-platinum-blonde hair in beachy waves, I looked out at the faces of about 350 classmates. And I confidently delivered what I believed to be…
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Sick of medicine. Sick without it.
I had seven voicemails when I returned home from a magical, soul-inspiring trip to Scotland in March. They were all from pharmacies. SEVEN calls about medications. I’d abruptly transitioned from fairyland back to reality. Normally I have a “whatever needs to be done” attitude when it comes to managing cystic fibrosis, but this time anger…
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A shifting miracle
I began drafting this post three weeks ago. I’ve made second and third attempts, but nothing I write feels quite right. Today I decided I’ll just type and post whatever leaves my fingers. However it comes out, I’m sharing for transparency, not pity. In July 2021, I began taking what I touted as a cystic…
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What a fun season
“What a fun season!” I thought last night as my head hit the pillow. I felt satisfied despite the end of the Braves’ playoff run. But that hasn’t always been my approach to sports fandom. Ramón and I used to have Falcons’ season tickets. I’d look forward to going to the games and, on Sundays, I’d…
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Hopes and dreams
“Got any hopes and dreams for today?” Ramón often asked me this on days we had together with no real obligations. I’d name an errand or a craving or the simple wish to spend a lazy day with him and the dogs. And today, three years after his death, I think about my answer to…
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For the birds
Two brown thrashers built a nest in the camelia outside the sunroom window. For the past few weeks, as I sat at my desk, I watched them venture out into the world and return with presents. They started their workday as I did my respiratory therapy, and together we welcomed the sunrise. And as I…
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Woe to the child (birthday edition)
You know that ol’ medieval European saying, “Woe to the child who tastes salty from a kiss on the brow, for he is cursed and soon will die”? No? Nobody? Parents have been cautioned about salty babies since at least the 15th century. Salty skin was “known to herald an unavoidable death preceded by rasping…
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On the right track
This is one of my favorite photos from 2022, taken in November. Yes, it’s a selfie, but this was a moment I wanted to capture. I felt so (this is hard for me to say) proud of myself. In this photo, I am sitting at a train stop in London on my way to the…
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A semiperturbed post about a jack-in-the-box
Let me start off by saying I wrote the first draft of this post yesterday afternoon. As I worked on what I’m sure would have been a very clever and mind-blowing ending, an error message popped up on my computer saying, “Upload Failed.” I scrolled down to where I’d written the post, only to discover…
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Happy/Sad New Year!
We’re almost a week into the new year, and I’m ready for a do-over. In some ways, I fulfilled my intention to be simple and deliberate. I made a lengthy to-do list for the week and accomplished most of the tasks. I’m five days into a 24-day Pilates challenge. I’ve already finished reading my first…
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I’m published!
I was embarrassed to admit I wanted to be a writer for a very long time. I was fearful of seeming unrealistic, for one, but putting my wish out into the universe also meant I could fail. I wasn’t thrilled about that thought, either. In recent years, though, I’ve realized I was only failing myself.…
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Trial and error
When I took my first dose of Trikafta in March 2019, I felt, as the pills slid down my throat, that my life might be changing. And change it did. In just a few days, breathing was easier, pain was minimal, and energy was plentiful. After a euphoric six weeks on the medication as part…
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Surreal
Over the past three years, I’ve sat down to write many posts that seemed surreal—events that felt as though they were taking place on another plane. I felt overwhelmed as I stared at the computer screen, searching for the words to properly share my husband Ramón’s leukemia diagnosis. Then there was the apprehension I felt…
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A little birdie
I approached the window just in time to see half of my favorite tree topple to the ground. I stood there, mouth agape in disbelief, as I watched the landscaping crew load the branches with the other yard debris. A part of my heart, too, felt like it had been lopped off. That tree was…
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May I demand a favor?
My word of the day is “fearless.” I don’t normally have a word of the day, so take that for what it’s worth. Before I put out feelers for publishing connections last October, I didn’t know what to say. I wanted to write the perfect message, post it at the perfect time, and have it…