Surprise Lessons
Assorted odors infiltrate my seventh period classroom. Thirty-two students—smelling of drugstore perfume, Dorito dust, and adolescent sweat—spill into every available…
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Growing Gratitude
The breeze ruffles my hair as I pedal steadily down the path. The smell of frying bacon wafts from a nearby…
Tomorrow’s Tomorrow
Family and friends assemble under the white canopy, murmuring greetings as they find seats. The sun peeks through bubbly…
Dad’s Advice
When my husband and I married, there was an understanding: No Children. “Childless by choice,” I’d tell people, preferring that…
An Announcement…
Dear Heartwired Writing friends, I am pleased to announce my essay, “Gifts from Dark Places,” will be featured in the upcoming…
Everything Must Go
“Seize the day, then let it go.” -Marty Rubin One by one, cars creep past. Passengers point and gawk, muttering…
Love Baked Daily
The following essay, Love Baked Daily, was a semifinalist for the Chicago “Listen to your Mother” Show. I wrote it as an homage to…
Handed Down Love
I wake to footsteps on creaky floorboards. Little girl feet race through the house, chasing the darkness between their nightlight…
Breaking the Mold
“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same…
The Grandma Angels
(This post originally appeared in the March 2015 issue of Sasee Magazine. All rights to republish belong to Katie O’Connell….