When I first heard the words “esophageal cancer,” I didn’t even know what the esophagus was. I just knew it was serious and that my mom had it.  The esophagus is the tube that connects your throat...

Working in customer service is like making yourself into a sleeper agent. You’re standing there, exhausted after making twenty large popcorn combos and sweeping up more popcorn than you thought was...

I was simply going through the motions of recovery. I was doing my part away from my physical therapist. I began to think I will never be back to where I had worked my way up to for the past two...

Racing through the parking lot, weaving between cars, I glance over my shoulder as my heart beats in my throat. She’s right there; her fingertips graze my sweater. She’s going to catch up, and it will...

Everyone grows. We all grow older, unfortunately. We all grow in character, thankfully. We all grow in knowledge, hopefully. But, we all grow through experience. There is no reality where people don’t...

The recent Oval Office meeting between Donald Trump, J.D. Vance, and Volodymyr Zelensky was nothing short of a disgrace. Instead of conducting themselves as leaders, Trump and Vance treated Zelensky with...

Every day, I come home from school to find my 10-year-old sister on the couch reading a book. Thirty minutes a day, seven days a week.    One day, I even bothered to ask her why she’s always...

What I am planning to do for Spring break is a retreat. Every year, Camp War Eagle hosts a retreat for high school students. Last time we had one, we went to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and it was so much fun. One...

Navigating high school is challenging in itself, but being a supporter of Donald Trump adds a unique layer of complexity. In today's politically charged environment, expressing conservative views can lead...

I am shaking so bad. Got locked out of my apartment. Threw this party for myself. I don’t know half the people on my couch… The blue spotlight is glaring in my eyes, all the eyes in the room are...

Always the giver never the receiver. Always the painter, never the muse. Always the praiser never the praised. Always the poet, never the poem. Always listening, never heard. Always noticing, never noticed....