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
The last two months have felt like a slow, steady, quiet building. January was full of micro-tweaks and subtle adjustments. Small calibrations. A tightening of bolts I didn’t even know were loose. February felt like a cleansing of the heart. A soft wringing out. A release of the things I’ve carried, the barriers I’ve erected,… Continue reading March: Ignition
Sacred Rose Dear Blossoming Soul, This month has been a journey. I once thought this would be something I did alone, even while sharing it with others. I was proud of creating the Sacred Rose journal. This is my third year following the phases of the moon and the blooming rose as a way of… Continue reading Day 28: Waxing Gibbous in Leo
Sacred Rose Dear Blossoming Soul, How often do I shrug off a compliment without letting it land?Laugh it away.Deflect it with an awkward chuckle. Let discomfort decide for me. It is hard for me to receive. Compliments.Help.Love.Care. Because if I allow myself to believe they’ll stay, what happens when they don’t? What happens if I… Continue reading Day 27: Waxing Gibbous in Cancer
Sacred Rose Dear Blossoming Soul, How many things do I want that I don't let myself voice, let along think about. Why? Because if I accept these things, if I let them land, if I get used to them being here… what happens when they leave? What happens if I open my hands and they’re… Continue reading Day 26: Waxing Gibbous in Cancer
Sacred Rose Dear Blossoming Soul, I’m really good at keeping clutter. Not out in the open.It gets tucked into drawers and closets.Hidden in corners.Out of sight. My shared spaces need to look clean. Orderly. Put together.So the mess goes underground. I sweep things off the counter into a drawer.I shove them into a closet.I tell… Continue reading Day 25: Waxing Gibbous in Gemini
Sacred Rose Dear Blossoming Soul, Love in stories and fairy tales is often made out to be intense.High highs. Low lows.Battles to be won. Enemies turned lovers. Passion fueled by longing. And because we absorb these stories so deeply, it’s easy to mistake this sort of intensity for love in our real lives. I know… Continue reading Day 24: First Quarter in Gemini
Sacred Rose Dear Blossoming Soul, I have spent a good chunk of my life trying to prove that I am worthy of love. I remember once having the gut feeling that a partner was being dishonest with me in our relationship. Instead of confronting it, I got scared. Scared that naming the truth would cause… Continue reading Day 23: Waxing Crescent in Taurus
Always, Your Trusted Friend
