Category: perspective
-
Week 1: Simple September
Here’s what went down during the first week of Simple September. Highlights include fun socks, cozy naps, and threats of hospitalization. Dun dun dun… šKeep up daily on Instagram!š
-
Simple September
How is it already September? And will I ever stop saying that at the start of each new month? The answer is no. Itās part of being an adult. While reading this weekend, I saw the phrase āLighten up.ā My reaction was visceral, a sensation of rocks in my stomach. Nobody said it to me,…
-
Reclaiming “How are you?”
Iām thinking about how I answer some everyday questions, like āHow are you doing?ā and āHowās it going?ā I know the right answer is āGood!ā because many people ask these questions as a substitute for saying hiānot an actual inquiry into my wellbeing. But Iām that person who may deliver an answer the asker didnāt…
-
Normal: Not found
Today was back to reality after a week at the beach. For me, the primary symptom of post-vacation blues is a soul-level restlessness that I struggle to describe. Something always feels just a little bit off, like maybe Iām not supposed to be where I am. I know this feeling is normalāthat it happens after…
-
Back to CF: Day 5
Rise and shine and wheeze! Itās day five waking up without having taken the cystic fibrosis āmiracle drug.ā Although Iāve toyed with different dosages over the yearsāeven skipping three days between dosesāthis is the longest Iāve been without the drug since 2021. For those who are just catching up, the short story is this: As…
-
Azale-yeah!
As I sneezed my way through the yard a few weeks ago, I stopped to admire these white azaleas. On a shrub of nearly identical white blooms, one flower said, āNo thank you,ā and showed up with a fuchsia stripe. Do the damn thing! I see you.
-
Can you buy happiness?
Iāve been thinking about things lately. And I donāt mean āthingsā in an abstract sense. Iāve been thinking about tangible objectsāprimarily items that we purchase and make ours. One Christmas long ago, my then-boyfriend was excited for me to open my gift. I gently unwrapped the box and lifted the lid. As I peeked under…
-
Means vs. Ends
I never regret taking time out of my day to write. Still, most days, I have to convince myself to do it. I donāt know exactly why I feel this way. Maybe it’s that writing is difficult. Or that I’m not sure what I might unearth while writing. Or that I fear Iāll fail in…
-
Just the SweeTARTS
I always look forward to Valentineās Day for obvious reasons: CANDY. And specifically SweeTARTS Hearts, which I rank among my favorite holiday-specific candies. Yes, that is how you spell SweeTARTS. And please note SweeTARTS Hearts are not the same as sugary conversation hearts. Big difference, folks. I take my candy seriously.
-
Twenty Twenty Thrive
Iāve historically been the goal-setting type, excited about the fresh feeling of a new year. But as we welcome 2025, I donāt feel my usual level of enthusiasm. Iād typically read too much into that, trying to dissect the āwhy,ā but Iāve decided to instead use one of my least favorite phrases: it is what…
-
Leg lamentations
“Recovery will take between four and six months,” the surgeon said as I lay in the hospital bed, cast up to my thigh. At first this overwhelmed me, but I remembered I’d always been a quick learner. In school, I easily picked up on new conceptsāsomewhat annoyingly ahead of the curve. But I neglected to…
-
“I love you, but…”
About a decade ago, I was standing on the beach with a couple of my uncles, enjoying the perfect balance of sunshine and breeze. As water pooled around our feet, somehow the not-relaxing topic of politics came up. In a moment of boldness, fueled by alcohol, I posed a somewhat inflammatory question: “Does it bother…
-
Joyful June: I Broke Myself
As May drew to an end, I decided I wanted to approach June with a different perspective. Having become increasingly bogged down by the ins and outs of daily life, I liked the thought of making a conscious effort to look for the joy that exists in each day. And, if I had trouble finding…
-
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 schoolās 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…
-
Happy Birthday, Dirty RamĆ³n
Today I feel your presence in the rustling leaves and chirping birds. I taste your appreciation in the Blizzard I got in honor of your birthday. I see you in our dogsā eyes as they pierce my soul. I channel your patience when one of said dogs pees on the floorāsimply saying, āIām sorry I…