As a child, my mom was my hero. Now, teaching sixth graders about heroism while navigating my own struggles, I've realized something: I don't have heroes anymore. I collect mentors instead. Heroes stand on pedestals, untouchable and perfect. Mentors sit beside you with their own scars visible, showing you how to navigate the flaws. The real hero's journey? Not an ascent to perfection but a descent from pedestals to walk alongside others.
Personal Growth
Surrendering Control: How God Taught Me to Love Better
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.
Learning to Apologize Well: The Art of Meaningful Forgiveness
I thought I knew how to say sorry, but my apologies weren't landing. Discovering the five apology languages transformed my relationships and taught me what real forgiveness looks like.
When Friendship Becomes Judgment: Learning to Love Without Fixing
I lost my best friend because I couldn't love her without trying to change her. Here's what the ocean taught me about friendship, boundaries, and letting people be themselves.
You Can’t Change Yesterday, But You Can Grow Today: Kitchen Lessons in Life
This summer I traded gardening for cooking and learned to fix my own car. Sometimes wisdom comes from trying new things and accepting that you can't be better yesterday—only better today.
Breaking Free from Labels and Excuses: Learning to Fly at 35
My student Snow White taught me that growth means accepting criticism without making excuses. Here's how I'm learning to stop using labels as crutches and find the freedom to fly.
The Counselor Who Taught Me That Writing Is My Best Therapy
When Charming and I needed couples counseling, I knew finding the right therapist would be like finding fertile soil. Here's what I learned about growth, vulnerability, and the tools we need to heal.
Every Failed First Date is Ground Cover in My Garden—Bok Tower Taught Me Why
At Bok Tower Gardens, hydrangeas reminded me of Kyle, gardenias of Angela, Spanish moss of matching pink bathing suits with Dad. Each plant held a memory. Then I realized: West Virginia boy with the missing tooth is just Firebush—lots of personality, but wrong colors for my garden.
My Creative Writing Teacher Called Every Poem a MADAM—She Was Really Teaching Me About Life
Mrs. Shelton taught me that every poem is a MADAM: the Most Acceptable Draft At the Moment. "Never fall in love with a first draft, Laura Joy," she'd say. Turns out she wasn't just teaching me about poetry—she was teaching me how to revise my entire life after divorce.
Breaking Up in My Azalea Garden: When Love Means Letting Someone Grow
A bird flew from my wreath and knocked me off balance. Days later, sitting beside my boyfriend on the porch, I realized I'd outgrown our pot while he still needed time for his roots to develop. Some transplants come too early.
Writer's Growth 