Category: writing
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Let love win
I’ve started to write countless posts this week—in my head, on my phone, on the computer. But every time I try to put my thoughts into words, it feels insufficient. Plus, no matter how I phrase things, I fear I might add to the growing sense of division, which is basically the antithesis of why…
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![Oh, [S]Nap!](https://drewdotson.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/20220221_161858.jpg)
Oh, [S]Nap!
This was originally written January 5, 2024, in case you were wondering if Noodle had been resurrected. I figure I’ll start sharing some of my writing that would otherwise go to die on my computer. How lovely is an afternoon nap, especially during the wintertime? I love cozying on the couch with the dogs, pilfering…
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Adieu, Noodle Lou
Growing up, I wanted a dog, but I feared the yet-to-be-acquired dog’s death. I suspect that’s not typical kid behavior, but my CF diagnosis instilled in me a death obsession. I grieved every loss I could dream up—even losses of relationships that didn’t yet exist. In May 2012, with Ramón’s encouragement, I decided I was…
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Week 4: Simple September
Another week of Simple September has come and gone. Of all the weeks this month, this was the least simple, but hey. A lot fell beyond the limits of my control, and I handled it with more grace than I anticipated. Although the week’s events weren’t particularly simple, I didn’t overcomplicate them—which is all I…
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Week 3: Simple September
I’m here with another Simple September recap. My biggest victory over the past week has been following my gut. Because of this, I was less sterotypically productive (i.e., working hard, making money) and a lot more that-book-is-really-calling-to-me-and-I-shall-answer productive (i.e., soul-level fulfillment). Some bigger things are happening this week, so check Instagram for the daily recap.…
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Week 2: Simple September
Another week of Simple September has come and gone! Most nights I found myself scrambling to think of something to post, which isn’t *quite* what I had in mind when I developed Simple September (#StressedAboutPostingSeptember?). So, my goal for this week is to be more mindful of my surroundings throughout the day. In other words,…
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Somewhere near-ish to the rainbow
A week ago today, John and I walked out of a sushi restaurant and found ourselves under a rainbow. I can’t remember the last time I saw one, and my heart brimmed with love at the sight of it—a welcomed giddiness. I thought of Ramón, yes, but I was equally mesmerized because I’d just arrived…
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Grape expectations
Let me tell to you about a grape soda situation. I just opened a Zevia-brand grape soda. It has no sugar, so we’ll see what’s up with that. I bought them on Sunday and haven’t tried one yet. Why? Because I have an oddly messed-up way of thinking. I often believe I need to “earn”…
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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 don’t 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 I’ll fail in…
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This mourning
Every now and then I submit to a literary publication just to see what happens. And I almost always I get a rejection letter sometime in the next two weeks or ten months. After receiving this week’s rejection, I thought, Hey, I kinda liked that piece. So their loss is … my blog’s gain? I…
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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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I went to medical school
“Making Death Casual” should be my tagline. Most people don’t want to discuss mortality, but it’s one of my favorite topics. When I talk about death, I’m really talking about life. Yesterday I spent the morning at the Emory School of Medicine. A pulmonologist I love, Dr. Linnemann, was giving a lecture on cystic fibrosis…
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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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I have done some things
Lately I’ve been in one of those funks where I struggle to give myself credit. I find myself thinking, “I don’t do anything worthwhile,” yet there is plenty of external evidence that proves otherwise. But rather than appreciating what I have done, I keep turning my focus to what I haven’t done. When I fall…
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I said YES!*
*to an exciting new project! If you do one thing today, follow Love Per DM on Instagram! Here’s why:I’ve written a lot about my life with Ramón, but I’ve not written much about how we met—mostly because the story wrote itself. Well, Ramón and I wrote each other. For the 12 days leading up to…