Essays + Narratives

Spent and sunburned, my husband and I drove our two sandy, salty toddlers home from our annual family beach trip. My mind busied itself with things that needed to be done, from ordering groceries to washing beach towels to picking up our mail from the neighbors. “Want to stop at that new ice cream shop?” […]

I wish I could cry.  At this moment, with stress bearing down on me as if I am Atlas holding up the world, I wish I could release some of the pressure trapped in my tear ducts. I used to cry at the drop of a pin; all it took was a sappy movie or […]

March 2017: Washington, DC Spring has arrived in Washington, DC with cherry blossoms, pink and plump as cumulous clouds. Puffs of petals appear painted around the Tidal Basin, and the city swarms with tourists. After seven springs in Washington, peak cherry blossom week has not lost its allure. Married to a military physician, I don’t […]

“What do you take that medicine for?” My nine-year-old asked me. I was taking my medicine in the morning like I always do for depression and anxiety.  “Well, you know sometimes how Mommy gets sad and cries out of nowhere? It helps with that.” I respond gently. He jumps right into the next question. “But […]

Gestational DiabetesEvery time I pricked a fingerSaid no to foodCounted carbsSubmitted to testsFought shame and fearI chose her best. Failure to LatchSending me home with only questionsSome babies take time to latchMine may never latch at allWhy can’t I do what I’m meant toWhere are the answers they’re trained to haveThey say breast is bestThen […]

My 3-year-old lays on her back on top of a white muslin swaddle blanket dotted with cornflower blue petals connected by twines of green leaves, my personal favorite from the newborn months. I am consciously aware of how much she has grown since it was last underneath her. Her toes tickle the edge while her […]