"You've become a shell of the person you used to be." The words stung as they spilled from my best friend's mouth. They were the last words she ever said to me. The year was 2018 and, in retrospect, the worst year of my illness. I had recently left her bachelorette party around sunset because... Continue Reading →
Lost Connections
Several years ago, I switched to from Gmail to to a new email service. A decade earlier, I had deleted all of my social media accounts, but Gmail was trickier because that email address was linked to so many accounts and so many people. Gradually, I've nudged family and friends to use the new domain.... Continue Reading →
The Family We Choose
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to visit my best friend. She and her family live across town, so it's trickier to coordinate, but always such a cherished time. I helped her wrap dumplings, we ate together, and we caught up after a two-month hiatus. She showed me pictures of their daughter at the beach with... Continue Reading →
Only Slightly Spoiled
I held my two-month-old niece for the first time yesterday, as her parents sat down for their first meal together sans baby since the birth. I heard a soft cooing as I bounced the ten-pound, chunky-soft human in my arms and walked her around the room to satiate her curious brown eyes. Within her line... Continue Reading →
A Skin-Colored Bandage
A skin-colored bandage covers the rot, the festering past, all the things that you're not. When no one's around, you pull back the cloth and pick at the flesh 'til your mouth starts to froth. Today, we must show up to prove we're the best; there's no room for failure and no time for rest.... Continue Reading →
A Little Miracle in The Valentine’s Aisle
"Do you have anything special planned?" A voice to my left inquired as we both plucked red-hued cards from the shelf and slipped them back into place, one by one. "No," I responded with a slight chuckle, "my boyfriend and I aren't big on the overly-commercialized holidays. We both appreciate a good card, though." The... Continue Reading →
Introspection, Infestation, and Intimacy
This past weekend, I was reminded of the duplexity of life, as well as my power to choose how I respond. Rather than labeling the incidences as "good" or "bad," I'm trying to practice non-judgement--the events are inherently meaningless until I attribute meaning to them. On Thursday, I met my aunt for dinner and it felt... Continue Reading →
Spectacular Contortion
I teetered on the hind legs of my cheap desk chair as I clicked the blue call button and waited through the modern-day dial tone. “Hey! Long time to see!” I was twenty-two years old: insecure and invincible. A few months shy of graduation, future options were limited only by my imagination; and yet, the... Continue Reading →