My need to control everything was destroying my relationships. Here's how surrendering to God's plan and accepting His design for me transformed how I love others.
Change
When Perfectionism Becomes a Prison: Finding Freedom to Grow
I wore perfectionism like armor until I realized it was keeping me from real connection and growth. Here's how embracing imperfection opened doors I never knew existed.
Six Ways I Learned to Love Better: Transforming Broken Relationships
My relationships were failing because I was bringing the wrong version of myself to them. Here are six hard-won lessons that changed how I connect with the people I love most.
From Dating Marathon to Instant Family: When Love Changes Everything
After a decade of dating disappointments, I found love that felt like home from day one. Here's how meeting Tony and his daughter transformed my writing, my heart, and my future.
Finding Your Perfect Fit: When Love Finally Makes Sense
After years of forcing relationships that never quite worked, I discovered what it feels like when all the pieces fall into place. Sometimes the right fit changes everything.
Purging the Past to Prepare for the Future: Moving Forward Light
On my last night in South Carolina before moving back to Virginia, Mama Sue helped me pack and gave me wisdom: 'You're purging the past to prepare for the future.' Here's why I'm packing light.
Life Lessons on the Ukulele: Four & Seven Strings
After the fireworks subsided last week, I sought out a new sound to fill the silence. Not live entertainment or even a date with a booming baritone, but a four-stringed, rosewood escape to paradise. And it was only right that I introduce my tropical instrument to my happy place, Fort Monroe, and play through the sunset last night. Just me and my ukulele.
What My Yard Sale Taught Me About Letting Go of Everything
As I sorted through boxes and broken dreams, I discovered that decluttering your house is really about decluttering your heart. Some things are worth keeping; some aren't.
Growing Pains: How We Embrace Change and Growth
Growth and change are two of the most defining aspects of life. Whether it's a crab shedding its exoskeleton to make room for new growth or a human transitioning from one relationship to another, we all experience these shifts in our lives. Female crab shells litter Fort Monroe Beach’s shores. Alongside them are skeletons no one sees but me, phantom beach companions and even a charming proposal.
Summer Shift: When Teacher Becomes Storyteller
On Friday, I woke up a teacher for the last time in the foreseeable future. My classroom is now boxed in my carport storage, an easy fit. The question was what to do with my rolling teacher desk. My principal called it the Cadillac of carts, I called it my classroom on wheels, and my students called it fidget toy one-stop-shopping. I unpacked it in the carport, put the screws back in, looked around at the sea of green and blue country, heard the birds, felt the breeze, and realized I’d unlocked the greatest writing real estate.
Writer's Growth 