When sibling rivalry comes up in conversation, I can’t help but raise an eyebrow because I’m completely in the dark about what it actually means. Sibling squabbles? Absolutely not! Why on earth would I compete with my sister? She’s the shining star in this sister-sister duo, deserving every ounce of praise I heap on her.…

Looking back now, I realize that trucking gave me much more than a career. It gave me confidence, independence, unforgettable memories, and thousands of miles shared with two little Yorkshire Terriers who filled every day with laughter, companionship, and unconditional love.  If someone asked me today whether I would choose that life again, my answer…

I never was well-suited for civilization. I get overwhelmed by too many buildings, busy traffic, and swarms of people; I struggle with social expectations; I don’t follow time constraints well. I’d rather be left alone in the woods, or on a mountain top, or even in a desolate desert. After a difficult childhood and adolescence…

Hair is something that is deeply personal to so many people. For some women, our hair is the measure by which society judges our beauty, determining if our stock is valuable or not based on how many inches our hair can grow. Being a woman of color, hair is tied to many deep-rooted societal issues…

I didn’t get tattooed to be beautiful. I got tattooed to be untouchable. There’s a difference. Beauty is an invitation. Untouchable is a boundary. And after nearly two decades of marriage that felt more like captivity, I was done being anyone’s open door. I decided—somewhere between survival and that night he nearly erased me—that if…

Description: To me, love is not a performance to be maintained, but a sanctuary to inhabit. This is a reflection on finding a partner who honors your growth, understands your silence, and creates a foundation so solid that doubt simply cannot take root. They say love must reveal itself with noise, with grand gestures and…

I am a person who is usually pretty busy, with doctor’s appointments and this new Etsy shop. A brand-new face painting gig and wanting to release my writing. I just go and go because it’s what I do. Maybe a little too much, at my own detriment. It could be some weird coping mechanism. I…

There was a version of myself I kept meticulously folded, tucked away behind the expectations of others, obscured by the calm of their certainties. This quiet suppression began subtly in childhood. I recall, at five years old, a moment of mischievous delight in a bustling shopping mall, relishing the frantic attention of my parents as…

Candles and battery-operated lights are still extremely valuable! How did people once live like this? No lights or hot water. Trying to cook must have taken hours! No electronics of any kind. Can you imagine waiting to hear from someone, but there were no phones? Or just trying to walk into the next room. Quickly…

Some places are reminders of so many moments; they remind us of so many things. Hidden are hundreds of memories in a single place. Isn’t it a beautiful thing how a single place can remind us of so much?! Isn’t it amazing how a single place can hold so much?! Furthermore, if the place is…