My parents were the couple everyone envied in high school. Dad, with his laid-back charm and sturdy build. Mom, with her vibrant energy and contagious laugh. They were crowned prom king and queen, then married before either of them hit 20. Everyone swore they were destined for each other. Growing up, I watched Mom stand […]
I’m Harold. I’m fifty-six years old, and I work as the maintenance and janitorial guy in a gated community called Ridgeview Estates. I live there too. Not in a house. I sleep in a storage room behind the maintenance office. It has a metal door, one narrow cot, a hot plate I’m technically not allowed […]
When my grandma got sick, I was 28 years old, and my whole life changed in a single moment. One day I was living my normal routine. The next, I was driving her to chemo appointments, sorting out her medications in little plastic boxes, filling her fridge with soup and yogurt, and sleeping on her […]
I gave my husband one of my kidneys because I believed love meant sacrifice. I never imagined that saving his life would be the moment he decided to destroy mine. Not long ago, I donated a kidney to my husband, Nick. I remember walking into the hospital, my heart racing with fear and hope, thinking […]
I always knew people might judge me for wearing a thrift store dress to my wedding, but I never imagined my soon-to-be mother-in-law would stand up in the middle of the ceremony and silence everyone in the room. Every whisper, every sideways glance froze. It was a moment I will never forget. I never thought […]
gave my husband one of my kidneys because I believed love meant sacrifice. I never imagined that saving his life would be the moment he decided to destroy mine. Not long ago, I donated a kidney to my husband, Nick. I remember walking into the hospital, my heart racing with fear and hope, thinking only […]