See this crooked tree? It started out just like all the other trees, but something happened to it when it was young. When it was just getting started. Some kind of trauma. But because it was a tree and it’s in a tree’s DNA to grow, it grew. And even though it was in the… Read more »
Essays
Dandelion Bouquets
When I was a kid, every time dandelions popped up in our yard, I would pluck every single one, hearing that familiar snap of the stem, smelling that earthy scent, feeling the sticky sap staining my fingers. When my little hands couldn’t hold any more, I’d hide the bouquet behind my back and head to… Read more »
Like a June Bug Tied to a String
I spent some summers with my granny in Hazard, Kentucky. Those summers gave me some of my favorite childhood memories. Swimming where I had to watch out for cottonmouths. Sitting on the floor and snapping beans while Granny rocked and watched her soap operas. Granny setting up a quilting frame on the porch and aunts… Read more »
Trying to Bloom While Dying
It’s spring, and all the other trees are in full bloom. This one is trying to bloom, even though it’s dying. It’s worn out. Tired. The signs are everywhere. And yet it’s trying with all its might to bloom. To keep trying. To keep going. Because it always has. Every spring. Without fail. For years…. Read more »
As a fat kid, my deepest wounds came from words my mother said
If you only read and heed one parenting tip, let it be mine. It’s not easy for me to talk about what people said and did to me because I was a fat kid. When sharing my story with others, I feel the embarrassment all over again. Shame. Sadness. Pain. So why do I talk… Read more »