It started when I was pretty young. I didn't understand the shame or have words for the feelings of inadequacy. No one said anything, or even indicated they knew I had a problem, but slowly, certain things gave me pause. One memory stands out: On a hot summer day, my Mom calls me and my brother ... » Learn More about Hello, My Name is Stephanie & I’m an Addict
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Terrified, Jumps Anyway
BEGINNINGS: Beginning a career at the age of 22 is a daunting task for anyone, but when your subordinates are only a couple years your junior, and when those subordinates are actually students in your English classroom, situation and circumstance are made all the more difficult simply because ... » Learn More about Terrified, Jumps Anyway
I Love Me a Good Underdog
When I traded in my high heels and laptop case for three kids and an extensive Crockpot repertoire, I was scared. As a social, artsy lady, I knew I would need a creative outlet, and I feared teaching a baby to wave bye-bye wouldn’t live up to be the cathartic experience I craved. What if I lost my ... » Learn More about I Love Me a Good Underdog
Why You Should Always Do Your Laundry Before Going to the Doctor’s
I hadn't seen my family practitioner since before I got pregnant with my son in 2009. My gynecologist was on speed dial, but my family doc and I had grown apart because I'm a user and didn't need her. All of a sudden, I found myself three babies deep and halfway through 2014. Fearing my PCP felt ... » Learn More about Why You Should Always Do Your Laundry Before Going to the Doctor’s
Facing My Greatest Fear in Writing
So many people reach a certain age and decide they are done. I see these people in my family tree, draped in cloaks of nonchalance, content in their oblivion. Done learning, done trying, done caring. I joke with my husband that he should smother me in my sleep if I ever turn the corner to Meh ... » Learn More about Facing My Greatest Fear in Writing
The Ultimate Online Baby Shower! #UOBS
If you know anything about me, it's that I. LOVE. BABIES. Rarely a day goes by that I don't ache for the swell of my pregnant belly; I'm the lady in the grocery store staring longingly at your baby bump with grateful tears in her eyes. I understand if you want to move over a lane. My wandering eyes ... » Learn More about The Ultimate Online Baby Shower! #UOBS
What’s the Secret?
When a sophomore boy came crashing backpack first through my classroom window, I was standing inches from the rainstorm of glass. Completely unscathed, the student and his friends ran snickering from the scene. Shattered debris had destroyed the reading nook I'd created with my own money and high ... » Learn More about What’s the Secret?
What Has Life Taught Me That Nobody Else Has Learned
The last time I took a creative writing class, I was at an uncomfortable metal desk as a sophomore in high school. After that, everything became very processed and less about the craft and more about proper punctuation and dangling participles. To make up for what I lost creatively, I kept ... » Learn More about What Has Life Taught Me That Nobody Else Has Learned
Light In the Window
My paternal Grandmother and I weren't particularly close. Situation and proximity saw to that; she enjoyed a much more fulfilling relationship with my cousins. As a child, that was hard to swallow. She rarely spelled my name correctly on birthday cards, and the one time a broken heart let my guard ... » Learn More about Light In the Window
I’m Good Enough, I’m Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me!
Women waste too much time scrutinizing the crow's feet at the corners of our eyes. We're also quite good at making ourselves feel guilty when we don't measure up to the one-size-fits-all expectations that other people have set for us. Other people who, by the way, we've never even met. Can we just ... » Learn More about I’m Good Enough, I’m Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me!