Collecting Pieces of Me

*carpe diem*

  • My Body Knows. . . If My Brain Cannot Articulate

    That’s just it, I struggle to describe it. I was just “put in my place” by a white, male, physician. My body told me I was treated poorly. The treatment wasn’t abusive but it WAS reminiscent of an abusive past. As my brain was justifying his behavior, my body indicated… Read more

  • To Whom it May Concern:

    To Whom it May Concern:

    A year ago, I could NOT have envisioned it. My 50th post!! Thank you for reading ❤️❤️ This blog, Collecting Pieces of Me, gives me purpose, it’s my outlet for healthy self-expression. Thankfully, my friends, my family, writing and THIS space have introduced me to MYSELF. I like myself😊 I… Read more

  • Hall Pass

    Hall Pass

    On Saturday, I spent the entire day in a middle school. I was there to support Science Olympiad. My daughter was a competitor, my husband, a coach. It has been at least three decades since I’d spent more than an hour or two in a middle school and I relished… Read more

  • Monster Valentine

    Monster Valentine

    On a whim, I call my cousin. As the phone rings, my thoughts drift. . . What was the first interaction that I had with her? My body knows before my mind remembers: Abruptly, light from the fixture in the hallway slices the darkness of the room in which my… Read more

  • POV

    POV

    This post was inspired by the photo below: This was taken one sunny afternoon at one of my favorite places in Kalamazoo. Guesses as to where this gorgeous window lives?!? As I sat, drinking in the beauty, and my kombucha, I took this photo and thought: “How fortunate I am… Read more

  • Memory & Magic 🪄

    Memory & Magic 🪄

    iamenvd.org  16th, December, 2022  An open letter to the following:  Ms. Shahida Arabi, Dr. Brené Brown, Ms. Tarana Burke, Ms. Ashley C. Ford,  and, since I’m listing alphabetically, last but certainly not least, Madonna. Dear all,  This letter began as a note to Dr. Brown, specifically in response to her… Read more

  • 17 YEARS of Momming😳

    When you count the pregnancy- and I DEFINITELY do! – it’s been 17 years! What an incredible, exhausting adventure! It’s been tough. AND I would not relinquish the honor for ANYTHING. My kids blow my mind with their sincerity, intellect and compassion. Like most things, it seemed simple: “parenting, we… Read more

  • The Anxiety of Transition ❤️

    We made it to 2023 y’all!! With every new year comes some sort of transition. For my family, the wave’s crash was delayed, returning to school and regularly scheduled “programming” on the 9th of January. Every time we are getting back into the swing, for whatever reason, I’m reminded of… Read more

  • Recovery: Respect ✊

    Please KNOW that I am Okay. I am not great, I’m barely “good” but I will, 💯 percent, for sure, be OKAY. I KNOW this because I’ve survived waaaaay worse. . . under circumstances in which I possessed SIGNIFICANTLY LESS power, almost ZERO control and with DRAMATICALLY less life to… Read more

  • Fridays are MY day these days😁💪🏻❤️

    Two Fridays ago, the kids and I spent the day in Detroit. It was the most, sustained fun we’ve had together in months, possibly all year! We’d come for eye exams, stayed for The College for Creative Studies, and squeeeeezed in a lil trip down memory lane and an obligatory… Read more