There were many rules in my family but one of the most important was don’t get pregnant before you get married. My sisters and I were to present the perfect picture at all times. Don’t shame the family. I may have been in New Mexico, 1400 miles from my parents in Michigan, but those rules were like blood in my veins. I was a twenty year old mess, drinking heavily, trying to get through college, waitressing and scrambling for money for rent, food, health care, tuition and book

I am weary. Over the past year and a half, on top of the pandemic, my family was hit with medical emergencies that were out of control. I suffered a back injury as I leaned down to pick up laundry (lesson learned!) The pain was like nothing I had ever experienced. The other issues were even more serious. I am weary because Russia is a nightmare, women's rights are in more danger than ever and here we are, fighting with each other and arguing, and it's all too much. It's all t

I grew up believing that The United States of America was the greatest country in the world. It felt strong and comforting to me, even as I navigated the rocky terrain of the women’s movement and fought for women’s rights. Thankfully, I did not grow up in a racist home, though, in reality, our neighborhood was white and I did not have much exposure to other cultures or races until I attended high school, then college. But, my parents were intelligent and bestowed me with the