DIARY OF A FLOPPING FISH

During cold months like this, I really miss the sunsets in summer. Watching the sun disappear, throwing a beautiful array of yellows, oranges, and red as its last hurrah before it disappears under the horizon, always seemed to have so much hope. Lately the cold gives us a bittersweet sunset because it is just as […]

Traverse City Walmart Stabbing: Could This Attack Have Been Prevented? Michigan is reeling from an attack at the Traverse City, Michigan Walmart on July 26, 2025 where a 42-year-old man “allegedly” stabbed 11 people at random with a folding knife. Luckily, though there were serious injuries, none of the stabbings were fatal, and bystanders helped […]

For many of us, the subject of family is a loaded one. I’m sure I’m not the only one whose blood family is large and diverse, and not everyone in a large family gets along. It’s fine not to get along with everyone, but it is dangerous to think you still have to associate with everyone regardless of how they treat you or what it costs to be “loyal.”

College is a pivotal time in our lives where we learn skills and develop talents that will impact the rest of our lives. It is also well known that college is hard, and for many it is a test of our fortitude to push through in difficult times. Attending college with a disability or mental illness can be hard, but with the right support, accommodations, and adjustments it can be done.

My fight for mental health awareness is strongly tied to my fight against domestic violence because we do not wake up one morning and have an anxiety disorder, or a mood disorder that developed completely on its’ own without any help from our living situation. That, to me, is truly crazy.

The truth is that the people who are doing bad things are very good at it. We can’t be too hard on ourselves for “falling for it” because, frankly, they lied to us, and we didn’t find out until we were trapped. We get trapped emotionally, financially, and sometimes even physically. Statistics show that most victims of domestic violence end up going back to their abuser.

The process of healing feels like watching plants grow; progress is slow and all you want is the fruit that comes at the end.