One day, my coworker walked into the office with a short bob instead of her usual long ponytail. “Wow, love the haircut! It suits you so much,” I said. To my surprise, she burst into tears. I froze. I had no idea what I said wrong. She sniffled and whispered, “I cut it to feel…

They say funerals bring out the best and worst in people. In my case, it was mostly the latter. It was a cloudy Tuesday morning, and I was standing by the church entrance, arms wrapped around myself, watching a steady stream of black coats and solemn faces shuffle past. My husband, Eric, stood to…

I stared at the email on my phone while my coffee went cold in my hand. The subject line read: “Baby Shower Registry — Please Review!” Maggie, my brother’s pregnant wife, had really outdone herself this time with her unbelievable demand. A $1,200 stroller sat at the top of the list, followed by a…

It was Thursday night. Late. The kind of late when nothing good happens. I was wiping the same spot on the counter for the third time, just to fill the silence, when I heard it. Because that voice belonged to one person, and there was no way I could be hearing it now. Three…

Angel was 11 years old, and most days, she felt older than that. Not because she wanted to grow up fast, but because life didn’t really give her a choice. She didn’t mind waking herself up on school days when Dad slept in. She didn’t complain when dinner was reheated soup again. And she…