(A short story by Irene B.) Kira stood in the long, winding pickup line at Bake My Day bakery, already late and already irritated. Her thick, mid-length hair was pulled into a neat, low bun, with loose curls escaping just enough to brush her warm brown cheeks. The place should have been fast. It always was when she wanted a quick sneaky treat, no latte needed, which meant she could skip the second line for the custom, overly complicated orders. She’d placed the cake order last week for pickup today. In the past, it took a few extra minutes to add in a few more sprinkles, encouraged by the competent…
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As A Woman, Your Happiness Is Your Power
Why some people get uncomfortable when women are happy. Tell me if this is something you’ve noticed, suspected, or outright discovered, that there’s this special something about a rested woman. An unbothered spirit, a calm woman or even relatively steady woman that you’d think everyone would celebrate. But apparently, according to some corners of these here interwebs and in real life too, a woman who is genuinely content can make far too many people uncomfortable… strangely angered even. Freaking funny, isn’t it? Honestly, it’s a place I’d happily wallow in forever. But since life insists on life-ing, I’m learning to savor the moments, intentional and random, that I get to…
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The 48-Hour Pre-Holiday Survival Challenge
Non-apologetic. Completely necessary. Do it once, then repeat as needed. I’m learning that the best skill for navigating any holiday isn’t planting a fake veneer of cheer on your face. It’s doing what you actually want and fully enjoying it in the moment, and again when you look back once it’s all over. So before the chaos hits, here’s the 48-hour reset that I praying will keep me sane, hydrated, and unbothered like a champ. Feel free to steal all or some of mine, or create your own, and then protect your peace like it’s the fragile sliver of calm before the internet gifts you more political clownery with a generous helping…
