Dear Doctor, I’ve been thinking about you even though you might not remember who I am. I can only imagine how many pets, and the people who love them, are entrusted to your care. Maybe you remember a certain corgi coming to your office? Maybe you don’t. They all look the same. But, not really, …

I’m proud to tell people I work in the older adult industry. There’s always a pause. Most assume I mean the adult industry—which is something else entirely! In truth, I work with older adults who are moving into assisted living communities. My clients are of a certain age, so today’s tech lingo doesn’t really come …

Years ago, when I was still living in my childhood home, my dad tried to teach me how to tie a slipknot. Never mind the fact I had no desire to learn any such skill, so try as I might, I couldn’t get the hang of it. In truth, my inability was really the perfect …

I live in an area where old barns stand among the backdrop. While this implies a countrified community, this same area is also surrounded by cities, strip malls, and freeways all bursting at the seams! I suppose the certainty of suburban sprawl best explains why I’m drawn to the beauty of old barns. They seem …

She sits across from me, pencil in one hand, iPhone in the other. Hope is in the air, and Google Translate tells me she’s nervous but happy to be here. I offer a prayer of thanks to the amazing Google Translate, which converts her native Spanish into my native English.  We sit at my kitchen …

Dear Professor Smith, While scrolling the internet, I stumbled upon the syllabus from a class you taught at Stanford Continuing Studies…I Laughed So Hard, I Cried: Writing Comedy and Tragedy. I practically fell off my chair with excitement looking for the ‘enroll’ button, only to notice ‘2023’ printed at the bottom of the page. Since …

Her name was Melinda. She was the worst player on my childhood softball team and the only kid in class who didn’t have to take the weekly spelling test. Melinda was special. That’s what people like her were called back then. The kind that can’t keep up with the other kids, whether on the sports …

Not to sound crazy, or to boast about it, but I am the Messiah. No, I’m not the leader of a cult—I don’t even go to church! I’m just a woman whose nickname is Jesús. My real name is Suzie, and my friends often say, “Hey Suz!” when they see me. Say that out loud, …

The first time he appeared, I was traveling at a high rate of speed, so my eyes couldn’t serve as a credible source. It was my neck that proved his presence, straining to survey the scene as I drove in the opposite direction he was walking. Hours later, his image lingered in my mind, infringing …

I’ve come to realize that my sister is a stalker. In her defense, she’s never been arrested for this bad behavior, or had a restraining order against her. But, when I watch her in action, I can see that she’s after something and she’ll stop at nothing to get it. In reality, she’s a professional …