Dear stargazer, I’m happy to introduce you to Unmasked, an anthology by young YA authors. Unmasked is a collection of short stories and poetry about finding hope in darkness, navigating seasons, forgiveness, and wholeness despite brokenness. In the midst of a global pandemic, this indie gem of a book seeks to uplift readers through the beauty of …
Dreams Are Galaxies The night sky expands above me, infinite and full. The galaxies are blooming tonight. They burn in creamy pink, warm purple, swirling indigo. Comets fleck their stellar faces and constellations peek from the milky folds. Dreams. If dreams are birthed in reality, they’re as beautiful as this. But… They are incomplete. A …
The virus prolongs its stay. Businesses close. The uncertainty drags on like a sour note. Summer ends without the usual reprieve. “It won’t be the same anymore,” they say. Talks of the “new normal” lead to poignant paradigm shifts. As the death toll rises and the world tips into economic breakdown, I’m stuck wondering, “When …
Dear Traveler, I’m doing a “Blog Swap” this month! I’m swapping posts with Eliana Duran, a talented teenage writer from the Young Writer’s Workshop. She also posted my article “5 Ways to Love our Families Better“, on her website at Eliana The Writer. If you’ve been facing big (or small) challenges in life, then this lovely …
For the reader whose 2019 hasn’t been the best journey: The year is ending. Your emotions stir like a contrast of colors. Dark streaks stain the bright. You trace the silver lining on your worst months. There’s still something to be grateful for. Yet those months remind you of how these scars were formed. It …
[Breaking Point] It was the summer of 2016 when my stomach decided to throw a tantrum. My swollen jaw throbbed from the recent wisdom tooth extraction. But it was nothing compared to the rising acid from the depths of my gut. The pain bubbled up, tightening my chest. I sprang for the bathroom as I …
[Dealing With Comparison] Everyone loves sunflowers. They’re bright and alive, sunny petals raised towards the skies. Eye-catching. Beautiful. The center of attention. Sunflowers are easily the stars of the garden, singing of their Creator’s glory. I wanted to be a sunflower—prominent and visible. But I felt like a daisy. [The Daisy Complex] I was small …
I. There he is again. The guilt settles on his shoulders like snakes with weights, coiling around him, pulling him down deeper. He sinks into the quicksand of his own self-abasement and abandons the thought of change. He did it again—looped another porn video; broke his promise to end the addiction. He vowed to change, …
[The Weirdo] “You’re so weird!” My classmate blurted at me. Her friend shushed her. “You’re so mean.” The words didn’t stop my classmate from giggling. I stood before them with a plastic smile on my face. Play it cool, I told myself. My steps shuffled away from their snickers and grins. Yeah. Act cool. Like you’re totally unaffected. …
[Triggers] “*Ate, what should you do when you have a suitor?” my cousin asks. She’s pretty and smart. She rides the rollercoaster of high school flings, which I have zero experience in. She’s only a year younger than me, but she expects me to say something wise. All I say is something honest. “I don’t …
