Published in ILLUMINATION·Pinned5 Quotes About Death That Remind Us to LiveIt’s all about embracing the challenge and enjoying the moments. — Ever since I can remember, I have always been fascinated with the concept of death. My first journals from my adolescent years are full of poems and sayings about the meaning of life. As a child, when I tried to grapple with concepts such as the size of our planet…Life4 min read
PinnedThe Backyard Safari ExperimentA flash fiction writing challenge met, based on a pulp magazine image that I created. — As tigers circled me, I stood there in awe. Fear was not present. I only felt gratitude and excitement as I looked around me. There were elephants, giraffes and zebras in the distance, and chimpanzees swung freely above my head. One of them stumbled on a tree branch and began…Pulp Fiction7 min read
Published in Hello, Love·PinnedHow a Morning Commute Prepared Me for College Drop-OffAs the passionate voice of Stevie Wonder filled the car, my daughter Danielle and I sang along and danced our way down Lake Shore Drive. …Life4 min read
Published in The Writing Cooperative·Apr 5How Writers Can Heal Through WordsA writing exercise, even one 20 years late, can replace years of therapy. — Ever since I was young, I worked through my feelings by writing. I kept a journal and consistently wrote essays and poems. That was how I made sense of my surroundings, my friends, my family, my world. It has always been so freeing: When I sit down to write, I…Writing7 min read
Published in Hello, Love·Apr 4A Cyclical Tale of Modern LoveHow the New York Times gave me the courage to leave. — I love when things are cyclical — when everything just comes together so seamlessly. It’s as if there is a motion, a perfect flow that leads to what was to be, of what is, of what was. Of course, it’s best to recognize these patterns once the circle has been…Love7 min read
Published in Motivate the Mind·Mar 29The Grey Area Between Objects Sparking Joy and Being TrashHere’s a clean-up routine that is relatable and still life changing. — More than a decade ago, I received a call to my home phone (yes, there was a time when we all had land lines!) asking if I had anything to donate to AmVets (American Veterans). I said yes as I immediately thought of clothes ready to be donated. Ever since…Life6 min read
Published in Know Thyself, Heal Thyself·Feb 25The Kindness of StrangersWhat falling on my butt (literally!) taught me about living. — I am that person who laughs in uncomfortable situations. Someone walks into a wall or wipes out on a slippery floor, and the childish giggles erupt from my seemingly immature self. I am full of concern and jump to help, of course, yet that innate reaction is a bit uncontrollable…Life4 min read
Published in Hello, Love·Jan 22I Discovered the Hottest and Most Fulfilling Romance … at 50!While many feel “over the hill,” I feel like I am just getting started — After being divorced for 15 years, I was approaching the age of 50. While I felt healthy, peaceful and like my most authentic self, there still was some stigma that came with that five-decade long status. My youngest daughter joked with me, “You better find someone and get married soon…Sex5 min read
Published in The Brain is a Noodle·Oct 11, 2021Closing the DistanceMonday morning’s micro poem — Poem1 min readPhoto by Nadine Rupprecht on UnsplashClosing the DistanceMonday morning’s micro poem----3
Published in ILLUMINATION·Aug 24, 2021Saying Goodbye to Adolescent OptimismHow an afternoon at the museum changed a teen’s outlook on humanity — As the plane accelerated on the runway, preparing for takeoff, tears of excitement streamed down my face. I was 13 years old, sitting beside a random classmate, and this was my first time on an airplane. My eighth grade class was heading to Washington D.C., …Mwc Death5 min read
