“I did not sign up for this,” I muttered as I cleaned the puddle and scrubbed the tile under the kitty litter box with bleach. I remember the day, 13 years ago now, when our cat Mowgli came crashing out of the woods and into our arms while we were walking through the Michigan countryside. […]
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My six year old son recently stumbled upon a miniature notebook. He was delighted to discover that it was brand new, and even more thrilled when I told him he could keep it. He grabbed a red marker and wrote “Henry” on the front. “What are you going to use it for?” I asked him, […]
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One thing we can all agree on is that 2020 has been rough. We are not okay. Each of us is walking this earth carrying our personal share of heartbreak, grief, and disappointment as this year continues to knock us over, wave after wave. Our mental health hangs by a thread as we try to […]
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Out of Place – Shanelle’s Story Mom was a trainer and teacher of the trade. Her long legs moved with grace as her fiery bobbed hair swished around. Her speckled arms could wrap around me for days. If a horse was there, it followed. Students waited for her every word. I used to sit on […]
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My husband, like many men, is not a big fan of shopping. You would never find him at the mall, or wandering into boutique stores in touristy locations. The appeal of walking and talking and browsing the aisles looking at pretty things is completely lost on him. Except if it’s Costco. He loves walking down […]
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Last week marked our third attempt to grow plants in our condo. The first time we tried to grow flowers in the guest room by the window, but there wasn’t enough light. The second time, we tried to grow plants on our porch but the whole thing is always covered in shade. I was barely […]
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Out of Place – Kristina’s Story My son spent his toddler and preschool years rambling around our spacious house and yard in California. Lush, countless mature fruit trees, palm trees, and flowering bushes enfolded our property. We escaped the heat in our backyard pool. My then-husband spent his time at work, and I spent it […]
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Coming back to our condo in San Diego after three months spent on my husband’s family farm in Michigan was jarring. For a few days, I could only see all the ways in which our house wasn’t measuring up to my ideals. No yard. Shared walls. Very little natural light in the main living area. […]
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Out of Place – Katelyn’s Story Since the fall of 2016, I have been extensively traveling. At 27 years old, with the ink barely dry on my master’s degree, I quit my full-time job to spend time living in unfamiliar places. Don’t worry–it wasn’t nearly as glamorous as it sounds. And since we’re all friends […]
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Out of Place – Kate’s Story The white tile floor cooled down my skin. My body was flushed and warm to the touch because I’d spent the last twenty minutes crying on that same bathroom floor. The tears, the anguish of overwhelming doubt — they had become my nightly routine. Every night, I lay in […]
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Sarah K. Butterfield 