I Broke the Real Tradition: Silence

What traditions have you not kept that your parents had? They passed down a few things, sure – a roast dinner on Sundays, perfectly folded laundry, and a deep, loyal commitment to never acknowledging a single emotional need. Some people inherit heirlooms. I inherited a legacy of be quiet and get on with it. The […]

The Real Soundtrack of My Workday: Noise, Doubt, and 80s Bangers

What do you listen to while you work? Sure, I’ve got Spotify on in the background now and then. Sometimes I stick on a playlist and pretend it’s helping, but really I’m just staring at the screen thinking about lunch. More often than not, it’s Heart 80s on the radio, safe, reliable, and occasionally interrupted […]

Trying to Heal, Be Creative and Parent All at Once, and the Algorithm Still Hates Me

The last few weeks, I’ve felt like I’ve been stuck on a hamster wheel, same loop, different day. Wake up, parent, work, perform for the algorithm, try to write, repeat. It’s a never ending cycle that’s become so ingrained I sometimes forget what I actually want from any of it. I’ve been trying to wear […]

Just Feed Me and Don’t Ask Questions

What foods would you like to make? Honestly? I’d love to make whatever the hell I don’t have to think about. As a child, I took food for granted. Meals just appeared, whether it was fish fingers and beans or a weird casserole that looked truly disgusting. It didn’t matter. It was there. I didn’t […]

The Rules I Was Never Taught

Grief doesn’t arrive politely. It doesn’t knock. It doesn’t wait until you’ve cleared your calendar or built up your resilience. It just shows up, uninvited, inconvenient, and fully expecting you to know what to do with it. But what if you were never taught? What if you grew up in a house where emotions were […]

What’s My Definition of Romantic? Not This Crap, for a Start.

What’s your definition of romantic? It’s not a man holding up a fish. It’s not a topless mirror selfie with “just ask” or “fill in later” in the bio. And it’s definitely not the bare minimum dressed up as emotional depth. I don’t remember participating in a national poll where we all agreed carp was […]

Gratitude Without The Glitter

How do you express your gratitude? I don’t light candles to thank the universe. I’m into the universe, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t think it needs constant applause. I don’t do affirmations. And I definitely don’t whisper sweet nothings to my dinner before eating it. You know what I do? I say thanks […]

Compression Suits and Pee Funnels: What Could Go Wrong?

If you read Sunday’s daily prompt, you’ll already be buckled in and waiting for this story. If you didn’t — well, first of all, where were you? And second, you can catch up here before diving into this absolute mess of a moment, starring me, a pee funnel, and a very unfortunate car seat. So there I […]

Some Teachers Teach. Others Inspire.

What makes a teacher great? You can tell a lot about a teacher by how they handle a student who’s struggling. Some write children off like it’s a personality flaw. Others change the way they teach, and suddenly that “lost cause” starts excelling. It’s not always the subject. Or the student. Sometimes it’s just the […]

Surgery Was The Easy Bit

Have you ever had surgery? What for? I have. The surgery bit was fine. The recovery? Not so much. Let’s just say it involved a car, a questionable gadget from Amazon, and a moment that still haunts me whenever I see an empty bottle. I’ll tell the full story soon. It deserves its own spotlight […]