Grandpa Rubbo grew tomatoes with the same devotion he brought to Sunday dinner prayers. Here's what I learned about family, food, and the legacy of love when I planted my first vegetable garden.
When the Scale Says You’re Not Who You Used to Be
At thirty-three, I don't look like the woman in my mind's eye. Here's what my students' prom, a heartbreak playlist, and my azalea bushes taught me about moving on from time itself.
Snow White Worried She Wasn’t Inspiring—Then e.e. cummings Taught Us Both About First Roses
Five false starts into writing night, my student Snow White confessed her prom prep stories 'might not be inspiring.' But between her friend's heartbreak and e.e. cummings declaring 'feeling is first,' I found my first hidden rose of spring—and remembered why poetry has no boundaries.
What My Herb Garden Taught Me About Planting Seeds After Divorce
Saturday's 40 mph winds had me worried about my newly planted seeds. But gardens teach us this: we can't know which seeds will thrive, go dormant, or blow away. We plant anyway, because the potential for future joy is worth the calculated risk.
I Became Cinderella to Teach Fairy Tales—My Sophomores Taught Me to Believe in Happy Endings Again
Armed with a British accent and blue gown, I convinced sixteen-year-olds I was Cinderella from Far Far Away. They taught me about cell phones while proving fairy tales aren't just for children. Sometimes you have to suspend reality to remember that happy endings are still possible.
Cherry Blossoms Made Me Forget Statistics—And Finally Write Charming a Love Poem
My March Madness bracket failed, but beneath thousands of cherry blossoms at D.C.'s Tidal Basin, I forgot all my calculations. For one afternoon with Charming, no statistics mattered. High School Laura Joy would've written love poems by month one. Eight years later, adult me finally did.
Teaching Fairy Tales After Brussels: Why Tomorrow’s Heroes Are in My Classroom
After the ISIS attack in Brussels, I looked at my students writing fairy tales about villains and heroes. I don't understand terrorism, but I know the heroes who will save us are sitting in my classroom right now.
What I’d Tell My Nineteen-Year-Old Self About Prince Charming
If I could go back, I'd tell teenage me: "You're going to date that guy someday." Here's what choices, integrity, and waiting thirteen years taught me about being worthy of real love.
Four Deaths in Four Days: What My Students Taught Me About Living
When death surrounded me—a former student, a country star, my teacher, a First Lady—I had to face the question: What are we really staying alive for?
The Magnolias Bloomed Early, and So Did My Temper
Some buds emerge before their time, risking frost. During our first real argument, my carefully hidden temper surfaced in what felt like an hourglass minute. I waited for Charming to leave. Instead, he asked how we could disagree better next time. Grace, it seems, comes in unexpected moments.
Writer's Growth 