In times of chaos, speak silence. In times of wrath, speak love. A peaceful answer turns anger away; and empathy always overrides judgement. Editor: Erynn Crittenden

Have you ever heard of atychiphobia? It’s an extreme and irrational fear of failure that can clash with your daily life, preventing you from taking risks or causing you to delay tasks that you feel will result in defeat. Some classify it as a non-diagnosed anxiety disorder. I considered this terror to be one of ...

Just as winter beckons on springAnd the moon guides the ocean’s tide,There’s a restoration that trials bringAnd lasting lessons they always provide The silence of dark times speaks aloud;It suggests words meant to make or mar.But sister, look within and remain unbowed –The light will always beckon from afar   Editor: Erynn Crittenden

Several miles away, thunder rumbles, warning the town of another downpour. A red sedan parks outside a grocery store. A young child, Riley, hops out, her blue sneakers missing a puddle. A voice behind her says, “Hold on a minute, Riley. Don’t go inside without me.” “Okay, Mom.” She answers back. Once Janet catches up, ...

My eyes flickered as I tried to adjust to the pitch black. The room’s darkness challenged all my senses. I can’t see what’s in front of me, and the silence deafens my hearing in the most unsettling way. Where am I? What am I doing here? This new world gave me no means of clarity. ...

Sometimes you avoid accepting the bitter truths of life. However, there comes a day or moment when you remember a piece of advice or lesson someone had shared with you. At that moment, you realize it was true. Out of all the self-help books I’ve read, the advice I got from loved ones, and lessons ...

I’ve always experienced difficulty grasping the concept of passion. Regarding what I wanted to pursue career-wise, I felt restricted by the “follow your passion” narrative. This is because I didn’t have a single goal to achieve. Some people are certain of what they want and can’t imagine it any other way. Others possess multiple interests ...

If time is a matter of perception, then you can change its pace. One might think that the days passed slower in our youth, but for adults, that is a distant point of view. When comparing your outlook and experience in the past, rather than how time passes today, we must realize time isn’t absolute. ...

Since I was a kid, I’ve daydreamed. I molded scenes of how social interactions might go or how I could become whatever I wanted to be. As an adult, the habit didn’t change. The only difference was the landscape of my imagination. Those thoughts now pictured all the tangible goals in front of me happening. ...

There’s this mask we wearThis mask only has one task in lifeOh, it does its job excellentlyIt holds on with every vigor in its makeupThis mask you see, won’t let go untilIt gets burned with the fire of quitting or zeal There’s that smile on her faceThat all too familiar split she wears beautifullyHello! she ...