A young girl resolves her strained relationship with her father with the help of a friendly centaur.
A non-fiction essay originally published in the 2026 edition of the Cow Creek Review
Mardi Gras is all about bad decisions. Survive, learn, and try to move all. That’s all anyone can ever do.
A very happy pagan new year to all. May the year be filled with hope, prosperity, and-above all else-honesty.
Healing after abuse is not a fast or linear journey. Some days feel like freedom, others like starting over from the beginning. But each small step—each moment of choosing peace over pain—is proof that survival is slowly becoming life again.
Some promises need to be broken. Trauma bonding isn’t what you think it is. Love bombing is a bad thing. And the bad guys always win.
Just memoriesof things lostof things wantedbut never hadLancing across the mindstabbing into the heartpain in the torsosometimes in a waveall the way to the toesA
How do you know when resting becomes quitting? When is it okay to stop striving and just exist? I’ve spent my life pushing through crises, proving my worth, and achieving—always achieving. But now, maybe, I just want to be. Is that enough?
After years of striving for stability, life unraveled in 2021, leaving me once again in survival mode. A tough visit with my kids, an unexpected opportunity at dealer school, and a stint at Wal-Mart brought reflection, challenges, and a shot at reinvention.