The tough times taught me how the ultimate beauty lies in the mundane. — “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” Robert Brault I have always prided myself on my ability to practice gratitude. Ever since I was a child, I’ve thanked the Lord for my blessings on the majority of my days. …

Mom of two, freelance writer, peanut butter lover. “Accept what people offer. Drink their milkshakes. Take their love.” Wally Lamb Hey there! I’m Amanda — mom of two, freelance writer, and peanut butter lover, but let’s start from the VERY beginning. I was born (and raised) in a teeny Southern…

How our daily commute sheds light on the metaphors of wind — “If the wind brushes against you, do not complain; it brushes against everyone.” ― Matshona Dhliwayo “Can I feel the wind on my face for a minute, mommy?” My sweet, 5-year old asks every morning — on our half-hour commute. “Yes, honey, of course, you can,” I always say as…

Trying to make sense of our political world. — I’ve been a people pleaser since I can remember, and for most of my life when it came to controversial conversations, I’d shy away or stay silent. Some close friends never even knew my political affiliation. Controversy has never been my thing. Then I became an official writer, and life spilled on the page. For someone…

One day (if we choose) we’ll wake up and no longer let fear enslave us. We’ll no longer allow those dismal elongated fingers leave behind marks on our throats. We’ll no longer tolerate their attempt to strangle the light out of us. We’ll recognize that if we continue allowing that…

We are on the same cosmic plane, You and I. Containers of light —  energy colliding with the sun.

A poem — This life we live with its cascades and folds resembles swirling silk beams twisting and flowing across the sky. We take their diverse dance for granted and ignore the gulf below. We know these trajectories firmly hold our weight and house our souls, so, we stretch them, pull them, wrap…

After 9 months in our new home, I realized the blue and white shower curtain was, in fact, an image of the sky and moon. I was brushing my teeth when I discovered this epiphany, and struck by the absurdity of it all, I sat on the ledge of the tub and laughed. Hard…

My life –before– resembled that of a large-scale puppet show with exquisitely decorated marionettes– strings attached and performing with ease on society’s stage. Wooden limbs bobbing up and down. Ventriloquists magnifying sound, as an army of eager children soaked messages in. Looking back on it now, I put on one hell…