The Gift of Fire: What the Anger Teaches
I smelled the fire before I knew what it was. I couldn’t see it or feel it, but the air smelled wrong. An acrid, smoky scent hung in the air as I went about my day, tending [...]
pain
The Boy In The Playroom
When I was seven, I was healed by a miracle. That’s how my parents always told it. The night before, we’d had company. It was a weeknight, which meant my sister and I [...]
When Your Trauma Doesn’t Fit the Image of PTSD
I’ve run a blog for the last five years about the intersection of my chronic physical and mental illnesses and my hopes of living a life of joy despite and sometimes even [...]
The Harm of Fixers | 5 Types of Well-Meaning People You Encounter When Suffering
There are people in your life who only like you when you are shiny and happy. They’re there to celebrate your triumphs. They love it when you’re grateful and full of joy. [...]
Notes from Nanea | Emotional Pain Management
My dear Sweatpants & Coffee tribe, I’m thinking a lot these days about pain management. Mitigating pain has been a big part of my life these last few months. When my [...]
What You’ll Remember
Previously published on The Next Good Thing. Over the past several years, my mom’s dementia has been slowly progressing. While her mind has been fading, her body has [...]
Notes from Nanea | Ordinary Sad
My dear Sweatpants & Coffee tribe, I woke up the other day feeling sad. There’s the Big Sad, because, you know, terrible, not-fun life events, but then there’s also [...]
Personal Essays | Burn the Pages & Keep Going
The past teaches us important lessons about where we do and do not want to go, but we also need to let go. [...]
Personal Essay | The Strength in Weaknesses
The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Minnesota is corn. Lots of it. Like, you are literally surrounded by corn. The second thing that comes to mind when I think [...]
Sweatpants & Soul | In the Darkness, Together
I was a teenager when I first encountered death. It was summertime and the nights were uncomfortably warm. It was the kind of heat that made you sweat even if you stood still [...]
