To accept the divine invitation to decolonize is to commit to writing the boldest love letter yet. But you won’t realize this for a while. At first you will feel your spirit brewing a dangerous cocktail of rage and lament. There is so much brokenness around you—in your neighborhood, in your community, in your newsfeed, […]
My Stones of Remembrance
by on May 8, 2019 1 Comment
For someone with a love of simplicity and order, I own an excessive amount of trinkets. A few weeks before our departure from South Asia, I packed some of them in a suitcase to send back with a friend returning to the United States. I lovingly wrapped the items as I pondered the most important things […]
Who Will Pluck My Chin Hairs?
by on April 11, 2019 Leave a Comment
My mom and I once made a solemn vow: If either of us is ever in a coma, we promise to pluck one another’s chin hairs. My petite, five-foot-tall mom once grew out a single hair to see how long it would get. The coarse black hair spiraled below her chin until my brother and […]
Sisters in Mental Illness: Postpartum Depression
by on December 19, 2018 1 Comment
[TRIGGER WARNING: Content mentions depression.] “It would be better if I wasn’t here.” “I’m a terrible mother.” “It would be better for my kids if I wasn’t around.” These were the thoughts that flooded Megan Gahan’s mind when she suffered postpartum depression. Longtime SheLovelys will know monthly contributor and former submissions editor Megan Gahan. Megan […]
Babies
by on October 17, 2018 3 Comments
There’s an 11-year-old girl who, whenever she sees me, asks when I’m going to have a baby. After trying my best to conceal my panic and shock, I gently remind her that I’m in my mid 20s and don’t plan on thinking about having kids any time soon. The girl refuses to accept my feeble […]
