Depression whispers that nothing matters, but sometimes healing happens when we do the next right thing anyway. Here's how I learned to take action even when motivation was nowhere to be found.
Author: Laura Joy Palma
The First Signs of Healing: When You Start to Notice Life Again
Recovery from depression isn't dramatic—it's in the small moments when you start noticing sunsets again, tasting food, feeling hope. Here's what emerging from darkness actually looks like.
When Honesty Has Limits: Struggling with Truth vs. Transparency in Writing
My students convinced me that trying and failing is better than not trying at all. But what happens when being completely honest in your writing means violating others' privacy? Here's my struggle with authenticity.
Should I Stop Blogging? Finding Authenticity When Faith Falls Apart
Six months after my life imploded, I'm rebuilding from the ground up without the foundation of childhood faith. Here's why I keep blogging through the uncertainty—because authenticity matters more than having it all together.
When Fall Always Reminds You of the Love You Lost
Three years ago, I fell in love with fall because I fell in love with him. Now autumn's here again, and I'm learning how memories can warm and chill you at the same time.
Maybe Half Full
I can't write about everything anymore, but I'm still growing—just like the moonflower that climbed my porch without any tending. Sometimes the best things happen in the spaces between words
How Baking Caribbean Rum Cake Made Me a Better Writing Teacher
I threw out my lesson plans and let my AP students drive the learning. Here's what happened when I stopped teaching from fear and started teaching from confidence—just like baking without a box.
When Your Love Story Doesn’t Look Like Everyone Else’s
My fairy tale ended, my faith wavered, but love didn't disappear—it just showed up in places I never expected. Sometimes the best love lives are the ones that don't fit the mold.
The Hurricane That Never Came and the Storm I’m Still Fighting
We prepared for Florence, but she missed us. Meanwhile, I'm still battling the real storm—learning to live instead of just working to survive. Sometimes silver linings come with friends.
What Hurricane Florence Taught Me About Teaching and Heartbreak
As I prepared for a literal storm, I realized I was still weathering the figurative one called Charming. Here's what teaching idioms taught me about surviving both.
Writer's Growth 