Essential U : Learn it: Live it: Pass it On

I took advance fiction writing the last semester of my senior year at Lewis and Clark College. We were assigned to write a fiction based on a real memory from our childhood. Our professor was teaching us that good fiction is always based on reality. I took the snippets of memory that I had from my mother's battle with Hodgkin’s disease in my early childhood. She was diagnosed with it when she was pregnant with me. Her courageous and victorious battle made a huge impact on me. She was and is stil… Continue

I was in the process of walking my baby girl, Selah, out of me. I was nine month pregnant and walking for miles everyday to stimulate contractions with Dennis and Keegan by my side every step of the way. I had been contracting for months and now that it was time the contractions brought no progress. It was May 3, 1999 and the sweat of Oklahoma stuck to my skin every time I stepped out of my home.





On that particular day the heat was too oppressive for me that I could barely stand to be outsi… Continue

I’ve been the strong one stroking the belly of a loved one filled with cancer. The cancer so advanced that I could feel it under his thin skin as I promised him that it was okay to die that day, and reassured him that we would carry on. I stood there in the room hours later as the last breath escaped his body relieved that his pain was over and ours had begun.

I’ve been the weak one sitting in Dennis’ office weeping opening when the news came that mom needed open heart surgery. I’ve been the ad… Continue

Being apart of something great is an incredible growing experience. I spent two years as a proud member of the Duncanville High School Marching Band. There I gained some spectacular lessons from a great leader. I learned about attitude, momentum, hard work, team spirit and from being apart of something much bigger than myself. When we moved to Texas I had no idea what I was joining when I took up the saxophone.

In reality I may be closer to tone deaf than a musical prodigy, so this story is tru… Continue

In our home over the past four months an epic underdog story has been unfolding before our very eyes. It is a story that offers hope to those struggling against great odds to be accepted. In our home Star is the Queen. She is a twelve year old cat that is obese to the point of ridiculous and has a meow that sounds like she has smoked since she was in the womb. She is loved and adored by her people. Five years ago she compromised and allowed a Prince to enter into our world. Gogo is a sleek and h… Continue