Coping with anxiety and expectations in an uncertain world. — Last night, I went to the grocery store. We were out of milk and chicken nuggets and a couple of other we’re-all-home-all-the-time staples. It was my first time being in the grocery store since the CDC recommended masks. Before going into the store, I sat in my car watching shoppers…

Struggling through the journey from understanding to acceptance — “Come here,” I tell my almost-10-year-old son, “I need a cuddle.” He climbs onto my lap and lays his head on my chest. I wrap my arms around him and his long hair tickles my nose, but I close my eyes and lean in. In this moment, I am infinitely…

America is woefully unprepared for the psychological aftermath of this pandemic — Last week, the inevitable happened. When I read the county health department’s recommendation that all schools provide 100% distance learning county-wide, a lump of cement formed in my chest. …

Putting your own mental health and well being first isn’t an admission of wrongdoing — I love the internet. I have since I first got that shiny disc in the mail from AOL with 500 free hours and created my first username (it was DaisyMaizi in case you were wondering). …

What it’s like on the inside of anxiety — I sit at my desk, head in my hands, staring at my monitor, but not seeing anything. To passing co-workers, it likely looks like I am reading something on my monitor, but my skin is crawling and I can feel every breath I take in. …

Hanging on through the hopelessness of heavy boots — It’s late Sunday night when a post appears in my local community Facebook group. There is not much information, just a screenshot of a dispatch report from the fire station down the hill. The address is blacked out, but I can see enough to maybe figure it out. Description: ECHO…