I have one cool plant in my yard - a lilac bush planted by a previous owner. Each spring, fragrant pale purple flowers bloom, filling the air with their beautiful scent. I adore this plant. For the past few years, it has faithfully blossomed. I’ve clipped blooms...
Under the veil of darkness, a predator walked my path. Hunting, prowling - leaving his mark with every step. A path I walked daily, blissfully unaware of his presence. This morning, the sunlight revealed his footprints. The size of the prints made me pause and ponder, "What else am...
As I turned the corner, a familiar shape swooped down to a patch of green grass nearby. Red-chested, with a dark head and bright beak, the robin’s sharp eyes tracked my every step. Each day, he took up this same position as I walked by. I...
Her tiny hand gripped mine as she gingerly stepped forward. Smiling, she turned and looked at me as this new skill took shape. With growing confidence, her steps became steadier as she ventured further. Eventually, her hand let go of mine as she delighted in...
Reaching into the sweetener bowl at a coffee shop, I picked up a packet. The slogan on it read, “Always trust in yourself.” I’m not sure why sugar packets are now dispensing pep talks, but I have to disagree with this one. We cannot trust in ourselves. As followers...
The sun reflected off my blonde hair like a beacon, inviting strangers to stare. On the busy Asian street, the locals strained their necks to see me, a foreign teenager with light hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. Many approached cautiously, reaching their hands out, requesting to...
I stared out the window of the moving train, mesmerized by the unfamiliarity of everything before me. The writer in me longed to pull out my phone and document the foreign nature of this place. Reaching for it, I glanced around the train. No one else...
Do any of these sound familiar? "I'm a failure." "I'm a disappointment." "I'm weak." "I'm nothing." Or maybe you hear “I’m all by myself. I’m unlovable. I’m not good enough.” We all have lies we hear in our minds, sometimes on constant replay. These lies are accusations, not from God, but whispers straight...
With each stop, people got on but no one seemed to be getting off. The crowded train continued rapidly from stop to stop. One by one, people squeezed on to the train barely making eye contact with one another. The passengers all headed in the same...