Walking the Tightrope of Womanhood
I’ve never been one to latch onto societal labels that spark division between men and women or even among women themselves. However, I cannot deny that throughout my life as a woman in this world, I have often found myself struggling to navigate the delicate...
The Emperor Has No Clothes
In July 2020, eleven months since we first went no-contact, my father wrote me his own obituary. Entitled “Who I Am on the Way,” my father described in the third person his early profound religious experiences (“[a]s if he’d written John 21:25” himself), how for him,...
How Social Media Affects Body Image And Mental Health
Social media is an integral part of our lives now, and while it offers many advantages, it also comes with risks. Research has shown that excessive exposure to social media can contribute to mental health issues and dissatisfaction with body image, which each fuel...
Healing Self-Blame From Childhood Trauma
My mother had been in a car accident. The second one that year, and this time, the car was totaled. Rushing to the emergency room, I was ushered back to one of the bays where she dressed to go home. She had suffered only a few cuts and bruises. I couldn’t say the same...