Stories have a silent, powerful impact on our lives, emotions, and actions. I found myself ugly-crying at a series I was led to believe was a run-of-the-mill Italian love story. I was met with a very poignant, honest, and beautiful story of love, family drama, and grief. I did not…

It’s a typical day. I’m getting ready for the day, washing my face and brushing my teeth when my sink fills up with backed-up water. I let out a sigh of frustration and annoyance. A clogged sink is such a bothersome first-world problem. I was silently frustrated when I heard…

If you haven’t seen an anomaly or difference, how do you know it’s different and NOT defective? A new “coworker” and nurse clutched her invisible pearls as she collapsed onto the padded seat next to me. We are at the back of our church sanctuary in a designated row of…

This is another installment of my introspective journey after my second stroke, as described here. Shhh. Silence is golden. I find it more like onyx than gold. Onyx is reflective and shows its imperfections easily, whether it be a smudge, a scratch, or dullness. This is what this newfound silence…

I made it to 31 barely. This could’ve been a posthumous reflection from another dimension but as of May 2, 2022, I’m still in this plane. This dimension. This floating rock. What am I to do with this “blessing”? My whole career and thus my career goals were and are…

I sat across the table from my play auntie ( A close and dear family friend, so she’s family), explaining how my values and understanding of my life just solidified after my stroke. I found it easier to mute the noise and filter out the essential things in my life. …

Call it capitalism, individualism, or what have you. Our society thrives on your pain. Because people in pain buy things and are less likely to “rebel” and demand respect. This mindset bleeds into multiple facets of life. For example, my career of choice: medicine. Medicine is fueled by participants’ ambition…

Trauma is my baseline. Typical. I’m a Black American female. Trauma is in my DNA. Trauma like the verbal and emotional assault on Kentaji Brown Jackson or the convoluted humiliation of Jada Pinkett Smith. Or Trauma like, you know, chattel slavery. “Research has shown that the effects of trauma can…

I smiled as I congratulated my friend for matching into her #1 program. Please see my previous article for some context on the match process. My friend explained the delayed disappointment at not being placed in a prestigious or academic program. …