Tag Archives: #cancersurvivor

Pinkwashed

Breast cancer awareness month is over. Thank God. You might think that breast cancer survivors enjoy or appreciate October. Maybe some do. It’s not that I hate BCAM, but I see many issues with it. For one, we have enough awareness of breast cancer. We see pink ribbons everywhere. The disease has been commodified essentially.Continue reading “Pinkwashed”

Birthday Scanxiety

This weekend was my birthday, and I am fortunate to celebrate 35 trips around the sun. It’s certainly not old age (despite what my kids may say!) but after cancer I can appreciate just how special each year is. Not one year is guaranteed even though nobody sits down in the twenties and thinks, “I’mContinue reading “Birthday Scanxiety”

Untangled

Pulling at my roots, I grapple gracefully at new growth, blessed by bees and nature’s rays and clouds whose smoky visages plump with life. Flailing at the seams, and tucked inside these dreams, I’m not frail, but free. I usually participate in the W3 prompt at the Skeptic’s Kaddish on Wednesdays, but I have decidedContinue reading “Untangled”

Changing Currents

Meander through meadows, patching puzzle pieces together into a mosaic tapestry. Wind– unwind– but don’t unravel; follow the brook’s bedrocks as they hum lazily with current through distant soothing channels toward our hazy destination. This summer, I have taken a giant leap– into a new job! I’ll still be teaching, but at the college levelContinue reading “Changing Currents”

Collecting Mini Milestones

For many of us cancer survivors, the five-year mark is a huge milestone. It’s believed that if you are in remission for five years, with no evidence of disease, that you can be considered “cured”. At least tentatively. Though it does happen, it’s rare for most cancers to return after so long. Many people noContinue reading “Collecting Mini Milestones”

A Peaceful Publishing Process

I’ve written and chatted a bit before about my latest novels in progress and rejection in the querying world. My latest journey into querying has resulted in 12 rejections so far, which I’ve learned with time is just a drop in the bucket. I’ve interacted with people on social media who have faced hundreds ofContinue reading “A Peaceful Publishing Process”

Poem: Perfect Imperfection

seashell solitude tangible imperfections glisten in water This past week, I had an amazing opportunity to attend a retreat of sorts for young adults who are cancer survivors. I spent five days in the Outer Banks of North Carolina surfing, exploring, and meeting other people in their twenties and thirties who understood on a personalContinue reading “Poem: Perfect Imperfection”

Learning to Let Go

My husband and I loaded the kids, the dog, and everything else we needed for a couple days on the road into the car late Friday morning. He’d already been into work earlier that morning, into which time I’d tried to force an entire day’s worth of grading, emailing, and student meetings while our threeContinue reading “Learning to Let Go”

First published poems!

Some days, I liken writing poetry to stringing my heart and soul up on the clothesline for everyone to see, but there’s a beauty in sharing our deepest words. I have two particularly honest/intimate poems up at Flora Fiction’s Spring 2022 issue about New Beginnings, “Sunrise” and “Writer, Revisited”. Check out the free download hereContinue reading “First published poems!”