Thank You Notes Prompt #66 — Decluttering your life is much easier for some than it is for others. I consider myself disorganized in many ways. People who know me well would likely agree. They might even find it laughable that I’d attempt to write a single word about “how to get organized.” My desk is…

As tight as it goes at least. — I’m back to where I started. Drug-free and healthy, And optimistic about the future. ** My five-year cancer journey started with a lump. Followed by surgery, Radiation, And a “new normal” of countless medical appointments. ** Fear of dying transcends from the periphery. No longer obscure, But a real danger— …

Coming full circle or chasing your tail? — Today The wheels on the school bus no longer stop in front of my house. I still hear them screech and squeal in the distance, and the whoosh of the air brakes haunts me. The sounds take me back to days gone by — when my kids stood at the end…

By setting forth a “mandate.” — Life is short, hectic, and fleeting. For those of us raising children, nothing quickens the pace faster than watching them grow. In a blink, our babies go from total dependency on us to having their own lives. Somewhere along the way, their time is increasingly spread thin between friends…school…extracurricular activities…and…

Including some ideas on what to ask your critique partners. — The act of writing is very private. That’s what I love most about it. I can spend hours alone at my computer, freeing thoughts from my head without realizing how much time has passed. My non-writer husband doesn’t understand how I can enjoy developing characters and plot lines from scratch…

From Mom’s perspective and then the boy himself. — This morning, I stopped at a crosswalk to let a pack of young boys on their bicycles cross the street. Out of the blue, I got hit with a wave of sadness and almost made a U-turn to go back home. Images of different versions of my son flashed through…

And why I could never imagine my life without one anymore. I grew up a pet lover. We always had cats or dogs, even birds, and a turtle once. From a kid’s perspective, I had a good idea of what it meant to have animals in the house, which is…

No one is safe in today’s America. — It is becoming increasingly difficult to find something positive to write about. Violence in the news is a regular and somewhat anticipated occurrence. I scan the headlines and wonder why people seem so desensitized to the loss of human life. A feeling of helplessness looms large from the cumulative effects…

Where I’ll be spending my mental energy this summer. — This summer, I’m focusing on my son. Not in the sense that I’ll be a helicopter mom. He’s 20-years-old after all. But in a way where I plan on prioritizing him above all else. The tricky part will be figuring out how to be there for him without hovering. To…