Will Rogers once said, “If you want to be successful, it’s just this simple. Know what you are doing. Love what you are doing. And believe in what you are doing.” About three years ago, I read a book that I had recently checked out at the library. It was called All the Light We […]

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. The vibration from the helicopter rattles my bones as I cautiously stumble my way across the Mendenhall Glacier. I can scarcely hear the guide as he begins his monologue regarding the glacier’s history. I grip my grandmother’s gloved hand tightly as we trek towards the crevasse. My heart quickens, and although I […]

A funny thing happened on the way to “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Myfour-year-old fingers were wrapped around the remote, seeking the trolley bell’sfamiliar ring, when I was drawn to the steady beat of a heart monitor. I nevermade it to the Neighborhood that day. Instead, I spent the afternoon in theoperating room of some distant hospital, […]

When I was nine, one of my favorite things to say to classmates was, “I have rock-solid abs. Really, I do. Punch me in the stomach and I’ll prove it.” Few people took me up on this unusual offer, but those who did touch my abdomen were surprised to find that it was, indeed, unnaturally […]

In May, my mom told me about a summer babysitting job. Not realizing the challenge ahead of me, I took it. I remember my first day. Anxious. Excited. Not sure of what to think. Is he going to like me? What will I have to do? Will everything be okay? Everyday was a surprise. Slowly, […]

Big bright brown eyes stared up at me, peering through long dark eyelashes. Small, tan arms found their way around my legs, encircling me in a world of warmth. A smile was etched from ear to ear with an unfaltering gaze. And, as I looked down, I soon found my expression to mimic that of […]

“Eu thanatos” is the Greek origin for Euthanasia, which means “good death”. Euthanasia has come to mean the intentional ending of a life because the person would be better off dead. This means they’d be free from suffering. (Munns) As an existentialist, we have free will for there is no God to mandate our personal […]

I have had the great and unlikely honor of growing up the only girl in a family offive children. Being the only girl has many good points. Clothes,toys, games, sports equipment and anything else I could possibly want piled up inmy house Christmas after Christmas and birthday after birthday. I whined andcried until I got […]

My dad died when I was ten. That was the first domino to fall. Then my mom took over his business and in her spare time, escaped her accumulating problems by focusing on religion. Since her attention was elsewhere, her six kids had to take care of themselves. We struggled in different ways to overcome […]

Have you ever noticed how ugly the word ugly is? It is only used when describing something repulsive or undesirable. The world as a whole shys away from the word. Nobody wants to be ugly. This fact is utterly important. You see, I do not believe in ugly. Ugly, does not exist. The problem with […]