Hello Hope

I was standing with my back toward the wall at Starbucks in the Sacramento International Airport, waiting for my tall, iced, green tea unsweetened with two Splenda Sweeteners. I was wearing a mask to protect myself from germs, and a sweatshirt I had created when I...

Dating The Sick Girl

I was in my early 20s when I first met my husband, Noah. We saw each other two nights in a row at different locations. The friends we were both with knew each other. The second night we saw each other, we were listening to a band and Noah said, “Can I buy you a...

Germaphobe

Upon becoming a kidney transplant recipient, we must take lifelong medicine that suppresses our immune system to help prevent our body from rejecting the donated organ. At this same time, germs take on a whole new meaning in our lives. Hand sanitizer and disinfectant...

32 Candles

During the silent moment prior to blowing out my birthday candles, I always think of the reality that I was not expected to see my 19th birthday. Also, that it is a true miracle I have turned 32 years old today. Thirty-two! Wow! It is hard to process all I have...

A Wild Adventure

It is easy to become creatures of habit. Some parts of our daily routine are mundane while others we look forward to. Noah and I used to have a steady routine of taking evening walks and hiking adventures on the weekend. We would drive down into the canyon behind our...