You are all eagerness and joy when you grab me by the hand and pull me onto the front porch The sun has just passed the barn and now spills around its edges, gilding the tips of the mimosa and bathing us in buttery light Our shadows are long Our faces alive We sit side […]
Sisters in Mental Illness: Shaley Hoogendoorn Talks to Jessica Birak of Mint & Birch
by on June 26, 2019 Leave a Comment
[ Trigger Warning: Mention of abuse, as well as an eating disorder.] This month, Shaley Hoogendoorn talks to Jessica Birak, founder of the jewelry company Mint & Birch, who is also a vulnerable and honest advocate for mental health. They talk about topics related to anxiety, depression, postpartum, hypochondria, eating disorders and healing from childhood […]
Stories that Change Generations
by on June 23, 2019 Leave a Comment
I have always known I was a storyteller. From a very early age, I created worlds in my mind. I had an imagination that ran wild. My third grade teacher Mrs. Knollinger, called me a liar. That is what old school Catholic teachers were told to teach: the law; not the truth. Thankfully my mother […]
The Worst Best Day
by on June 6, 2019 Leave a Comment
I groggily blink a few times while my phone alarm softly chimes. I stretch my arms and legs as far as I can muster and then lie very still. I am waiting. Waiting for the voices that have shown up each morning without fail. They tell me to throw the covers over my head. To […]
For the Daughters of Mothers
by on May 9, 2019 Leave a Comment
By Lisa Southard My mom was not perfect by any means. In fact, many times she drove me crazy, but today, I would give anything for her to be dancing on my last damn nerve just one more time. My mom was my best friend, and she died. I fully realize not everyone considers their […]
