When Joshua died, I thought words were useless against such pain. But I discovered that writing through tragedy isn't wasted—it's how we make meaning from what feels meaningless.
Writing Life
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.
The Things I Can’t Write Weigh on Me, So I Bake and Grow
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
When Life Unravels, Keep Writing: What My Front Porch Taught Me About Starting Over
After my engagement ended and my teaching world shifted, I almost stopped writing. Here's why showing up to the blank page—even when you're broken—is the most important thing you can do.
When You Can’t Write Your Own Truth: Living Through What You Can’t Say
Some stories are too raw, too complicated to tell publicly. Here's what I learned about truth, lies, and the weight of secrets during my summer of silence.
Finding Power in the Pen: When You Can’t Call Mom for Approval Anymore
When I lost my mother's daily approval after calling off my wedding, I had to learn to be proud of myself for the first time. Here's how losing her smile of pride forced me to find my own voice—and write authentically even when my hands felt tied.
When Students Become Teachers: Finding Poetry in Chaos
Teaching poetry to unruly sophomores taught me something unexpected: sometimes the most authentic writing emerges from the messiest places. Here's what my students taught me about courage.
Five Years Without Music: How Divorce Stole My Voice and Why Tomorrow Will Be Warmer
I used to wake up singing. Now I sit at a barely-worn cherry piano, fingers finding notes but no words coming. Sometimes the deepest roots need the longest winters—and tomorrow, finally, will be warmer.
After 158 Tuesday Nights, Even the Cushions Know My Shape
Chuck's words echo: 'Gravity works against all things... with time.' My shoulder feels it literally, but we all feel it—in sagging skin, long-distance love, dreams deferred. Yet tonight, though I can't see my magnolias in darkness, I know they bloom. Some things resist gravity's pull, at least for now.
Writer's Growth 