I Hid My Daughter’s Diagnosis For Seven Years

“It’s the imperfections that make something beautiful, that’s what makes it different and unique from everything else.” -Bob Ross Okay, maybe not hid. Hid implies I never told a soul; but grossly-misled and dismissed was too wordy for a title. I was never embarrassed or ashamed of my daughter’s diagnosis. It wasn’t that I “didn’t […]

I Was A Sidelined Sporty Spice

“They say that nobody is perfect. Then they tell you practice makes perfect. I wish they’d make up their minds.” Wilt Chamberlain Four years ago I was driven and dedicated, not just to the gym, but to myself. I maintained steady control and discipline over my body and the barrage of invasive thoughts. Five or […]

Divorce Papers For Valentine’s Day

“We accept the love we think we deserve.” -Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower My parents ended their marriage the day before Valentine’s day and all I got was a card, selfish tendencies and swelling intimacy issues. I was twelve and up until then the household was either tumultuous or gravely silent. Divorce […]

Confessions of a 31 Year Old Wig Wearer

“You like my hair? Gee, thanks, just bought it.” -Ariana Grande “7 Rings” Empowerment doesn’t come from or with societal approval. It was Ariana Grande’s release of “7 Rings” that tipped the scales on a decision I had been weighing since high school. Grande (25) and her mother recently starred in an unlikely Twitter feud […]

Perfectly Pickled Friendships

“But fate ordains that dearest friends must part.” – Edward Young My 6th grade science teacher had a signed portrait of the Challenger crew and rows of floating faces in formaldehyde. This was my third school. This time, rather than being moved across town, it was across the country. Social media didn’t exist in the […]

An Independent Villain

“My life didn’t please me, so I created my life.” -Coco Chanel Psychologists have warned against the labeling of adolescents. However, this school of thought, didn’t prevent one from calling me a tyrant. My face was stoic. I sat with my legs crossed and arms draped at my side; unblinking, my vision going in and […]

Baby’s Got A Brand New Bag

“A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence.” – Leopold Stokowski My father was born at the height of World War II to the daughter of an Italian immigrant. He was blessed with the heart of a musician but lacked support of the pursuit, at home. Inevitably he was able […]

Slave and Master to Every Bite

“You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed. And you are beautiful.” -Amy Bloom I have grappled with this paradox the majority of my life. I am still trying to understand how both statements, so oppositional in nature, can be true. My desperate need for perfection has ruined so many moments. My continual disappointment in mine […]

I Have A Compartment For That (Part 2)

(Continuation of I Have A Compartment For That) “In the planning stage of a book, don’t plan the ending.” -Rose Tremain There was never suppose to be a sequel; but the road to hell is paved with good intentions. As the quote above states, don’t plan the ending, even for a day. Over the years […]

I Have A Compartment For That

“You marry a role and you give up your soul, ’til you break down.” -Something Corporate My sixteenth birthday was complicated and pivotal. My sixteenth birthday was the first day of school, the first day of my Junior year. I was a transfer student, bouncing yet again from private school back into a very large […]