I'm sitting at Fort Monroe Beach, having just captured a dolphin leaping from the Chesapeake Bay, when the most profound realization hit me. For the first time in almost two years, I'm alone—and I'm discovering that having Tony and Calista in my life is probably one of the biggest reasons I don't sink into depression anymore. It's not their emotional support, though that matters. It's simpler: I never stop doing things. There's always purpose driving my days forward. This revelation, witnessed by dolphins, led me to see how limitations become tools for freedom—in Jack's wheelchair, in my bipolar brain, and in the deep waters that aren't barriers but home.
Writing Life
Behind the Scenes: A Summer of Cutting, Crafting, and Chasing Dreams
The sun crested the York River this morning at 5:59 AM, and I was there to meet it, rosewood ukulele slung across my shoulder, journal tucked under my arm. Same 9 PM bedtime, same sunrise ritual—rain or shine, whether I'm alone with my thoughts or surrounded by the Fourth of July crowd that descended on … Continue reading Behind the Scenes: A Summer of Cutting, Crafting, and Chasing Dreams
The Summer I Found God at the Beach with My Ukulele
While everyone else went back to school, I kept chasing sunsets at Fort Monroe. Here's what happened when I stopped letting summer end on everyone else's schedule.
The Night I Found My Voice: How Bad Dates Become Great Songs
When a date ended with inappropriate expectations, I discovered something unexpected—my own fierce boundaries and the songs they inspired. Sometimes our worst moments write our best music.
The Day I Stopped Begging God for Forever: Learning to Love What’s Temporary
I spent years demanding permanent love until my ukulele taught me something radical: not all good things are meant to last forever. Some are meant to be gifts for right now.
How My Ukulele Became My Church at the Beach
Six weeks with Summer Sarah, my ukulele, and I feel complete. God meets me at Fort Monroe every sunset, and now He's sending strangers who stop to listen to my songs.
Finding Home in the Crawford House: Why I Write Other People’s Stories
Couch-surfing turned into a writing retreat when the Crawfords gave me their guest room and aqua desk. Writing about Evan, Chris, and Sue taught me that telling stories makes everyone feel seen, known, and acknowledged.
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.
Leaving Teaching to Write Full-Time: Is This My Midlife Crisis or My Calling?
After 16 years in the classroom, I'm not signing my teaching contract. A friend's sudden death at 44 made me realize: when do you give up safe and comfortable to do what you were created to do?
Dreams That Chase You: How Puerto Rico Called Me Home to Myself
Some dreams don't wait for permission—they chase you across oceans and through heartbreak. This is how Puerto Rico became the backdrop for rediscovering who I was meant to be.
Writer's Growth 