Skate Like No One is Watching

Tonight, my twelve-year-old niece had her birthday party at the roller rink. I was interested in skating, so prior to the party, I sent out a text asking if it would cost anything for me to rent skates. Word spread, and my nieces were excited. I had to find my balance first, and one niece…

Rejected; Persistent

I got my first literary magazine rejection email. I have submitted three creative nonfiction flash pieces (less than 500 words) to four different journals. I am obviously disappointed, but I'm also delighted to have heard back. That means someone read my work! Sure, it didn’t fit what they were looking for, but it’s so exciting…

Extra Anxiety #endstigma

It's been a rough few weeks for my anixety, and I've been seeing my therapist weekly. I have been taking my emergency-only as needed anti-anxiety medication unusually often. I looked back at my diary app, on which I keep track of such things. As of Tuesday, I'd taken it 12 times since July 8. Typically, I take…

The World is Not Black and White (Another Thing I’ve Learned from Gardening)

I got up late three days in a row and missed my chance to water in the early morning. I’ve enjoyed that, before it gets unbearably hot. I also like the sounds of birds chirping and the smell of the plants. I like the feeling of peace I get out there to start my day.…

Mindfulness Monday: Trail Edition

This morning I had my regular chiropractor visit, and then I had an hour to kill before my therapy appointment, which was two minutes away. Also nearby is the entrance to a major trail, so I ducked into that parking lot and walked around for half an hour. With a few minutes to go until…

Mindfulness Monday: Oatmeal Edition

This morning, I watered the plants and took a shower while attempting to be mindful. However, my most interesting (and so far, unique) mindfulness experience was eating breakfast. I ate oatmeal prepared from the night before. I soaked old-fashioned oats, chia seeds, flax seeds, and a little maple syrup in milk overnight in a mason…

We are Not Alone in This

An interesting thing happened this morning. After a night of halfway panicking for hours, I posted about how I was feeling vulnerable and anxious, and how I was going to take care of myself. Then I stepped away from social media and took my emergency anti-anxiety medication to help me sleep. I remained awake for…

Self-Care for Vulnerability

I made myself vulnerable today. I submitted pieces to a literary contest for the first time, and definitely not the last. It was a rush: exciting, then nerve-wracking. I received a confirmation email that my submission had gone through. Now, I wait. Jason hasn’t been home in hours, and I'm a wreck. My heart has…

Mindfulness Monday: Dentist Edition

I was intentionally mindful this morning as I watered the garden. Like last week, I noticed observations made with my five senses. It was nice. At 8:00, I had my annual dentist appointment. I decided to try mindfulness then, too. I was trying to be mindful in the same way I had this morning in…

Backyard Gratitude List

  Last night we went to our friend’s house in the country. While the guys talked, I laid on the roof of Jason’s car and stared at the stars. The darker it got, the more in awe I was. It was the most beautiful thing. I love the sky. I realized this first with clouds,…