My experience waiting tables strengthened my skills and cultivated compassion — When I go to a restaurant, I leave a note on the receipt for the server— something like “Thanks for doing such a great job!” or “Excellent service and loved the food.” Once, after having lunch with a friend at a place near grad school, I left a more detailed…

And they have nothing to do with money — When I created a Medium profile in January 2021, I didn’t fully understand the platform. I read multiple articles about formatting, publications, and distribution, which helped me navigate the website and create stories. I soon realized that Medium serves different purposes for different people. For me, writing is a hobby…

“I love you even more than three doughnuts.” — Kids say the most unexpected and clever things. When my son, Vincent, learned to talk, I started writing down some of his quotes. I have a timeline full of them. He’s now six years old, and I thought I would share some from the past six months. Suspicious? Vincent: I don’t…

Before becoming a full-time English Instructor at a community college, I was an Academic Counselor for the Academic Opportunity Experience (AOE) program at a private liberal arts college. Housed under the Center for Student Success, the AOE office consisted of staff who took on roles of advisor, counselor, and program…

June 20th, 2008 The drive to the church takes an hour, giving me too much time to think. I haven’t seen any of these people in years. What if they don’t even want me there? Will I actually see Ryan, or will there be a closed casket? I turn up my radio to…

Brian — I ran into Brian *Sutton at Juniors. He’s being pretty flirty with me but I don’t want to keep talking to him if you’re not comfortable with it, I texted my friend, Devin. Devin and Brian briefly dated years ago. I didn’t remember much about him, other than he taught…

My brother, Lance, and I settled into a booth across from our mother and my six-year-old son. After ordering our drinks, Lance placed his elbows on the table and folded his hands in front of him. “I told Jess at the barbeque yesterday,” he said, “but I wanted to tell…

May memoir prompt: that one birthday — There are years that ask questions and years that answer. — Zora Neale Hurston My birthday is December 21st — one day before my grandmother’s and nine days after my cousin’s. Before my grandmother passed away, my family would get together at my father’s house every Christmas Eve to exchange…

After I broke up with my son’s father, a few of my friends offered condolences and encouragement, saying things like “he just wasn’t your person,” or “don’t worry, you’ll find your person.” Having “a person,” which seems to be a modern way of referencing a soul mate, reminds me of…