Author Student Mother Teacher
If you're waiting for your "Come to Jesus" moment, it's here. I haven't been "religious" since I was a kid. Raised Southern Missionary Baptist in a little church in the backwoods of Missouri. Our preachers were a circulating cast from other churches, and every week was a two-hour sermon on the evils of the world.… Continue reading “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” – Arthur Ashe
*****TRIGGER WARNING - The following is a conversation about grief, loss, the death of an unborn child, etc. It could be traumatic for readers. Proceed with caution. ***** Lots of things are heavy on my mind these days. These things keep me from moving forward. They keep me from making decisions. They keep me from… Continue reading We Need to Talk…About Donovan: A Reflection on Grief
The television plays Cooking shows on repeat, You didn’t like them But they bring me comfort. The cell phone stands ready Facebook, E-mail, games Anything to distract me, To keep from feeling. The laptop, always open A story to write, homework to do Simulation games that I can control Things where I get to say… Continue reading Drowning Out the Noise
This short story won the January 2024 Photo Prompt Contest with the Center for Creative Writing. The story is a mixture of true story and fiction and I am so pleased that it was chosen as a winner. It took a lot of emotional investment for me to create this piece and I hope you… Continue reading Saying Goodbye
How can the world keep turning When I can't feel anything anymore? The absence of you is everywhere, Even though you are long gone. I can't understand why And I know that it's not fair. You should be here And I should be there. Without you, the world is empty. Without you, the world is… Continue reading The World Keeps Turning
Sometimes grief feels like the world is ending. Sometimes it feels like the world has already ended. On the hard days, I wonder if I am even alive. Or am I already gone too, but my mind has not caught up? On the easy days, I think I can survive. But it's the in-between that… Continue reading Grief…Sometimes
Welcome 2024. I hope you bring many new beginnings and many more sustained connections. As a writer, sometimes I get bogged down under the weight of trying to achieve perfect prose. I want everyone to love everything I write. And if I don't think it's good enough, I can't publish it or even finish the… Continue reading Happy New Year!
Just over a week before Christmas, I had to have surgery. During my recovery, sitting at my computer to write hasn't been comfortable, so I've been doing a lot of reading. Additionally, I've been teaching myself to paint. I decided to start with preprinted canvases and paint-by-number canvases because I have trouble putting the images… Continue reading Learning to Paint
Happy Thanksgiving, dear readers! It seems appropriate that I take a few minutes and express what I am grateful for this year. This year was one of the hardest years of my life and so many terrible things happened and so few amazing things that it can be hard to remember what I should be… Continue reading What I Am Grateful For
I've been spending a lot of time lately reading and grasping for some thread of happiness. I usually find this in Christmas romance books, so I tend to devour them by the handful. A few weeks ago, the book Christmas at the Shelter Inn by RaeAnne Thayne arrived at my doorstep with a book order.… Continue reading What I’m Reading: We Need to Talk About this Book!
Cathy Marie Bown 