A Tree of Trauma & It’s Abundant Fruit

     I’m ten. My stepdad, Bill, was fired from Adam’s High School as a music teacher. The band director and other teachers built a conspiracy around him. Several teenage girls accused Bill of touching them inappropriately. Bill stood too close, rubbed their shoulders and backs, and other insignificant things. The school insisted on having […]

Burden in a Miracle

   Two days before my first birthday, in the middle of the night, I succumbed to cardiac arrest. My mom, an extremely well-trained lifeguard and swim coach, went into lifeguard-mode and performed CPR on me until the ambulance arrived, and took me to the hospital. The local hospital was ill-equipped to deal with me. They […]

Letter from My Kidney

Hey girl, it’s me! Your kidney! I know you didn’t forget about me. I don’t know what you’ve been doing, but you need to get it together. My old home, the one you call Grandma? She gave me up to keep you alive. Now, you need to return the favor. I. HAVE. GOALS. NOW. I want to be the longest living kidney ever! Just imagine it! I would be historical, immortal even. I will be the most amazing kidney in the world. For me to accomplish my goals, you need to get your life together. I like you; I love you. But I’ll kill if you mess this up for me. Sit down, let’s talk.