Recognize your privilege and speak up.
This is the product of us denying rights, housing, schooling, a voice, and a life to minorities. If you were to ask me, “How has my life been shaped by my race,” I would tell you that being white has made my life easier. I’ve never had trouble finding toys that looked like me. I’ve…
Never let the fear of trying keep you from crying
I’ll be the first to talk myself out of dangerous activities. You likely won’t see me tightrope walking, hang-gliding, scuba diving, base jumping, or free climbing. Don’t get me wrong—I love skiing and will try a black or double black, but I will also happily cruise blues down the mountain. I will hike to gorgeous,…
My most sacred new beginning
“You hold my hand in the street. Walk me back to that apartment; years ago, we were just inside barefoot in the kitchen. Sacred new beginnings that became my religion.” – Taylor Swift On April 27th, 2020, Deaven and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary. All fairy tale love needs is a happy ending. Our…
A Day for My Momma
“My mom and I are close,” can be taken a lot of different ways. I’ll put it this way. Up until the age of 25, my mom and I talked every night on the phone. I would tell her how I was feeling and what was going on. As every Southern momma does, she would…
Squirrelly
“Be like the squirrel, girl. Be like the squirrel.” The White Stripes When I was 16, the White Stripes released the song “Little Acorns”. My best friend Christan turned it on the car. Squirrels, and all their quirks, had won me over years before. The song was a tribute to the rodents that captured my…
Taking it on the chin: the painful side of being a toddler
My mom called me on April 19th to tell me that Lauren and my nephew Harrison were on their way to the emergency clinic because they suspected Harrison had a fracture. The day before, Harrison and my brother-in-law Brian had been playing tag. As my mom put it, Brian was running off the large concrete…
Nightmare on Earth
I have always loved going to the movies. I would get nachos, a fountain Coke, and a box of chocolate-covered raisins. When my mom’s family got together for holidays, we would go to the movies with my grandparents, my mom’s brothers and sisters, and my cousins. My mom is one of four. I have 6…
An ode to driving: wrecking and repairing others and myself
After writing about my awkward adventures in cars, all I can say is thank you to my parents who gave me second, third, fourth, fifth . . . need I go on? . . . chances. It took me four or five years to apply the defensive part to my driving, but I did it!…
Rain, rain, come my way
Last week, I pulled open the curtains, groaned, turned to Deaven and said, “Ugh, you again. Another sunny day, baby,” as the rays from the window filled the room. Deaven was ecstatic; I accepted it. Most people would be thrilled. Yesterday, I checked the forecast, barged in the room where Deaven was working, shouted guess…
I’m still lovin’ it.
Ever heard of a fast-food restaurant chain known as McDonald’s? You may recognize the white, red, and yellow logo with its golden arches. Did it blow your mind that the golden arches represent French fries? Stop me if you’re familiar. McDonald’s: I loved it. McDonaldland, which started in the 1980s, was in full swing when…
Oh, the places we went.
When I was younger, my family would take at least one long road trip during the summer. We had family reunions every summer and, we would all pile in the car to go. We would also visit my dad’s family on the East Coast. My sister and I would load up in the backseat with…
Is laughter the best medicine?
Whenever I’m feeling down, Deaven will make a joke or funny face to make me laugh. It works 99% of the time. One of the easiest ways to make me laugh is by showing me this failed gender reveal video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOX5HnyDV0k. In the video, the couple expecting the baby are being filmed. Their friend is…
It’s okay to not feel okay
“The first and truest thing is that all truth is a paradox. Life is both a precious, unfathomably beautiful gift, and it’s impossible here, on the incarnational side of things. It’s been a very bad match for those of us who were born extremely sensitive. It’s so hard and weird that we sometimes wonder if…
My job searches, otherwise known as, “Oops, something went wrong. Please try again later.”
When you make everything awkward, searching for a job is painful. My anxiety cripples me by making me worry about small things and preventing me from focusing on the big picture. Don’t even get me started on the job interview. My go-to outfit must include a turtleneck in a color that is forgiving about showing…
Shaggy dog stories
My family and I are “dog people.” My family has had dogs since before I was born. In the 1980s, Before spaying and neutering was a widely accepted, encouraged, and mandated practice, our dog Rose had at least three litters from neighboring dogs. One winter before I was born, Rose was heavily pregnant when my…
A Tale of Too Awkward 