A Guest Post From RK Once, I asked for an explanation from a family. I was met with a litany of excuses, supposedly mitigating circumstances, and anger. No explanation. The fact that I got a response, though the one I wasn’t asking for, speaks to the pain of an open wound. All I wanted was …
I’ve been extremely fortunate to have experienced quite a few memorable road trips in my lifetime. I’ve driven from Massachusetts to Virginia, Washington, DC, Michigan, Pennsylvania, all over New England, and as far as Tampa, Florida. And with the exception of numerous trips between Massachusetts and Pennysylvania, I always had travel mates. I traveled alone …
December 8th: I’m startled when my phone announces her call. Just hearing her name produces such an adrenaline rush that my body immediately starts trembling. She tells me she doesn’t want to feel this way anymore. She wants to move forward with me and try to forget the ugliness of the past. I ask her …
I dreamed I wrapped a string around your neck and squeezed the life out of you to stop the excruciating emotional pain that you’ve inflicted on me. That’s when I realized you don’t deserve that much power. It is over. I have no more expectations. You, on the other hand, will have to live with …
I was blindsided by a memory the other day. It was profoundly bittersweet and made me cry. I was on my deck absorbing a little sunshine to pacify the pandemic blues. I closed my eyes and turned my face up toward the sky. Suddenly, I wasn’t on my deck in the city anymore. The memory …
This is a lesson in practicing what you preach when treating victims of oppression with dignity and respect and holding perpetrators responsible for their actions. It’s a lesson about enabling oppressors and blaming their victims. A black man was murdered in broad daylight by a police officer and his accomplices. He begged for mercy, but …
https://www.amazon.com/Rage-Collection-Essays-Lily-Bell/dp/B084T37NS5
There’s a critical life lesson that my parents neglected to teach me which is how to say no. It’s important to learn to say no because it’s empowering and it allows you to establish healthy boundaries. But my parents raised a family of overly-accommodating people pleasers who have a hard time refusing anyone anything. Being …
Yesterday, I was caught off guard by a medical diagnosis. It’s the second time in my life that my day started unassumingly but ended in a startling way. I felt panicked and unprepared. I started ranting about end-of-life plans. My husband patiently listened and then coaxed me back to reality. Unless I get hit by …
I have to wonder why every single day at least one of you reads my blog. You were the ones who rejected me, remember? Why do you care what I have to say now? You didn’t care when I desperately needed you to, but it’s obvious you care now, at least about my writing. It …