It was one of the toughest and best choices I ever made. — When I woke the morning after Christmas, it hit me again. The bruised shadows trapped by our drawn blackout shades laid heavy on my chest. I felt frozen in place, in time. I just can’t do this anymore. The words swirled sharp in my head, in my heart and the…

I haven’t published an essay in over two years, but that’s not because I haven’t been writing… We all have an unpublished story queue. They’re filled with stories we’ve started and either finished and then abandoned or just deserted before the journey’s end. …

the grass in my yard has nothing to do — it accepts the sun, the rain, my muddied feet traipsing across it, I sit and run my fingers…

50-word Story: Animate your life —

I thought I had everything under control — here’s how admitting I’m powerless set me free — “I need sex.” He stood in the doorway of our sunroom. His face was soft but cinched and tight at his brow. The single thin line of his words sliced through me like I was nothing. And I felt like nothing. Again. This was the crux of it. This was…

Trust — it’s the little things we do, or don’t do, that build or break the connection. — One of my all-time favorite movies is Moulin Rouge. I love the music, the cinematography, and I love the characters, their simplicity, their honesty and faith. Their freedom was born out of their love for one another, out of their vulnerability and acceptance, out of their trust. In my 20’s…

It destroys marriages, careers, friendships… Here’s what we can all do about it. — Be honest — we all tell lies, and we’ve all told some pretty big whoppers at one time or another. It’s human nature. It’s fear. The biggest lie we all tell, though, isn’t something we tell another person; it’s a lie we tell ourselves. And somehow, even though we’re the…

Here’s how we built our fire — He rolled over and lay his head on my chest. I could feel his breathing, his rise and fall. Last night we had an argument, an argument we’ve had before and will have again. But the night washed over us, made the world foggy and distant. …

Today, I love my imperfect body; I’m sexy, strong, and healthy, but I didn’t always feel that way. Here’s how it happened. “Ring the bells that still can ring Forget your perfect offering There is a crack, a crack in everything That’s how the light gets in.” -Leonard Cohen (Anthem) …