In my wallet, I carry a coin. My fingers have dulled the polish and discoloration spreads from the center in spirals, evidence of the moments I have spent lost in memories. “Arms Acres,” declares the front. “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, […]

The smell of frying pierogi, tomato soup, avocadoes, and blueberry pie reached my nose. My mom is telling my sister to do her homework, telling me how she liked what I just played on the piano, and talking to her sister in Austria, all at the same time. Just an ordinary day of my childhood. […]

Every day I wake up is a second chance… I was drained from the lifestyle I led. Daily tasks turned into an agonizing grind of day to day burdens; the walls of life were closing on my soul. I did a number of things I am not proud of and they still haunt me like […]

I was eleven, when I saw the horrors of the world. I was eleven, when I saw the strength of a nation and its people. I was eleven, when I discovered the true power of hope; and I was eleven, when the Twin Towers fell. I woke up the morning of September 11, 2001, and […]

I was lucky enough to get a second chance at life, a profound gift that I will always be thankful for, and this is why I do believe in getting second chances. I had just had my son, and at age 20, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, cancer, at stage 3B. Since I was […]

Embarazada. To North Americans, the word sounds like a mispronounced “embarrassed,” but to Dominicans, it sounds like a difficult fate. I can remember her face, her name and her reaction. It still rushes over me with the clarity of cool water, even though the air was on fire that day. Esther had her baby on […]

It is often thought that the more money someone possesses the happier they are, but this is not the case, as history proves this theory to be wrong. I am a person who observes the world, and I try not to make the same mistakes I see in society. I’m practical when it comes to […]