When do I turn brand new?Does it happen all at oncepoof, she’s gone,like the flick of a magician’s wand? Or is it gradual,unnoticeduntil one day you look backand see the distance? Like staying with my auntwho lives next to the freewaythe first night,the roar is all I hear.It rattles the glass.Then one day,I realizeI don’t… Continue reading When Do I Turn Brand New
This is part of a three-year exploration of the Siren archetype that involves moving from survival to stillness, and finally, to sovereignty. For the last seven years, the ground wouldn't stop shaking. I thought I was being punished, but I was being uncoupled from the need for anyone else’s permission. In the chaos, I reached… Continue reading The Sovereign Siren
When I was young, it was easy for me to love. I handed out my heart like there was an infinite supply, like it was a thing that couldn't be dented, or bruised, or tossed aside. There was no math in my affection or comprehension of the harm others could do. At that age, love… Continue reading Here Anyway
In farming, there is a season where the land is left unsown. To anyone passing by, the field looks empty. Quiet. Even wasteful, especially when the sun is high and the growing season is in full swing. It can look like neglect. Like laziness. Like something is being missed. But that stillness isn’t absence. It’s… Continue reading The Fallow Season
My heart has called me home. There was a certain sheepishness as I followed her call; I hadn't realized I'd abandoned her throne, leaving nothing but dust on her seat. Stress and anxiety had lured me away, whispering that my value lay in the lands of others. The relentless machine of obligation overwhelmed me. I… Continue reading My Heart
Insecurities are an interesting thing. We treat them like small, shameful secrets, yet we allow them to dominate large swaths of our lives. For some, that insecurity might be a vice; for others, it’s the shape of their body or the weight of a decade-old mistake. We live in constant fear that we’ll be "branded"… Continue reading And It Worked
I used to fear the word content. I heard it as a heavy, rusted anchor, a settling of the soul into the silt of the mundane. I thought it meant the end of the climb, the extinguishing of the fire, the quiet surrender of a heart that had simply stopped trying to grow. I saw… Continue reading Already Home
Memory is a story we tell ourselves to survive; the body is the truth we cannot edit. When I was young, I was molested by a babysitter’s son. I didn’t remember it for a long time. My young mind did what it needed to do to survive. It folded the memory neatly and tucked it… Continue reading What I Wasn’t Taught Was From Whom
The "Battery Acid" Peace Treaty: One-Pan Loaded Nachos How do you eat healthy while keeping a teenager happy? In my house, my daughter is content to live on a rotating cycle of chicken nuggets, pizza, and instant ramen. Meanwhile, I’m over here trying to avoid the dairy-and-gluten bloat without making two entirely different dinners every… Continue reading One-Pan Loaded Nachos
This time of year always feels like soup season to me. When the air gets crisp, the easier the recipe, the better. Years ago, a friend shared a slow cooker chicken dish with me that became an instant staple. Over time, I’ve treated that recipe like a base, making alterations based on what’s hiding in… Continue reading Salsa Verde Chicken Soup
