A Christmas Sweater

I've recently undergone a faith transition out of the LDS (Mormon) church. While some things are LDS specific, I hope this helps anyone who is going through a rough time spiritually. It's the story that I wish I told my family, but even though they're supportive and understanding, I didn't work up the courage to tell them without the distancing power of the internet

The Holes Inside

What if there was a person whose love was like a cancer? An emotional vampire whose only way to survive was to kill the person they most cared about?

The Importance of Being Angry

When I was graduated high school, my parents presented me with a tiny green pocket version of "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Graduates." I read through it all in a hour (it is a small book) and several times again over the following weeks and months. It had a lot of good pieces of advice in there. But as years have passed and I lost my copy in moving, I can only remember piece of advice because it resonated with me so much at the time.

The Happiness Equation

     On Sunday, I went on a hike with my husband, daughter, and niece. It was a little bit overcast, and as we ascended the mountain, we reach a low-lying cloud. The trail was relatively quiet, the forest was thick with trees and greenery and with the cloud mist all around, it looked like an enchanted forest full of magic and possibility. It's the kind of beautiful scenery that makes the Olympic peninsula good for hikes.
     I was miserable.