Featured articles
A few specially selected articles from each new edition will be available in this convenient space. Access all editions here.
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“I Love You with All My Heart”
I often told my mother that I love her with all my heart, even if that meant with only half of it. The other half of my heart never developed. I have a congenital defect called Hypoplastic Right Heart, Pulmonary Atresia with an intact ventricular septum. In simple terms, the ventricle that would normally pump blood…
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A Walk through Fire
Since Covid first began, like many people, I’ve experienced complete annihilation in certain areas of my life—the parts I’ve always considered the most important. As far as I can tell, the pandemic is a forced shift away from how we’ve been doing things and towards a New and Better Way of Existing. And not just…
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Your Dig-Down
How many people live inside my head? I do know it’s crowded, and sometimes they really get in the way of each other. I reach for the freezer door to pull out the ice cream. Voice 1 responds, “Nope, remember you’re cutting down on sugar.” Voice 2 weakly objects, “Yes but . . .” I…
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Taken Away, Again
I am Ilze Marie Madeiros, but that wasn’t always my name. I used to be Ilze […]
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Playing with Playlists
If I had a nickel for every playlist I’ve made in my life, I would just go ahead and […]
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Hanging by a Thread
As I’m about to doze off, an idea strikes me. Grumbling but excited, I grab […]
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Bring on the Party!
Yes! Bring on all the Holliday cheer that surrounds us in November and December! However, let’s not bring on the average 5-10 extra pounds everyone gains. Ever wonder why we go on diets in January? You guessed it. It’s not just to get ready for beach season. It’s also to lose the “ugh” we gained…
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Adolescent Conformity and Groupthink on Social Media
American adolescents sacrifice individuality for the social validation of assimilation. Social media promotes assimilation as the predominant manner of connecting with others. Influencers or public figures dominate digital discourse at the expense of ordinary citizens. Some digital ideas are drowned out by the most powerful members of society. Social media platforms are conformist by design…
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Criticism: Helpful or Harmful?
Criticism: the art of defining the qualities or merits of a thing; discrimination or discussion of character or quality. The creative writing teacher marked up the short story Emily turned in at the end of the semester—and it was virtually covered with red marks! Lots of sentences were crossed out and different words inserted instead.…
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Dominos
By October, panic erupted in my chest when I thought about the future. How wonderful it is to create things like this! I took a deep breath, tapping the side of my keyboard nervously, wondering if I was about to make the best decision of my life or a horrible mistake. The Common App website…
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Is It LOVE or ADDICTION?
John would lure her back, buy her presents, promise a committed future. Conflicts were fixed by sharing their true thoughts and feelings, not with sex. You are not here to struggle with anger, guilt, and resentment Surprisingly, it’s become difficult for many lovers to connect in lasting intimacy. Dating has almost become a thing of…
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Stay Safe Out There
In an emergency, Boeing directs pilots to follow these steps: Tammy Jo Shults was a U.S. Navy pilot and the captain piloting a Boeing 737 passenger aircraft when an engine blew at 32,000 feet in 2018. She relied on the steps above along with her extensive experience and training to land the plane and save…
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Effortless Effort
Ever experience a time when all the stars seem to align and everything is perfect? Most of us have had that experience. It’s a Monday morning. The night before, you had the presence of mind to select a new shirt or sweater or outfit to wear for work the next day. Perhaps you even shined…
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Life Is the Meal. Flavor It Well!
Gary Vanynerchuk is a passionate entrepreneur that leverages social media to become one of the greatest. I have been following him on Instagram and Youtube since college, in 2018. His content is enjoyable because he motivates and inspires me to achieve on another level. I just finished reading his newest book Twelve and a Half…
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The Pride of a Roar
One day, a hungry lion, resting under a tree, saw a porcupine coming out of his burrow. It’s natural to seek comfort when the world becomes unsettled. Trust is never found outside of ourselves. I hear the regret they feel for silencing their voice. Evening will soon fall upon the African plains. As the day’s…
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Patience
Summer in Thailand is monsoon season, but even as the sun sets, the air remains sticky and heavy, and the sun-bathed ground warms the soles of my bare feet. I lace my fingers together to keep from reaching for my mother. She would hold my hand if I ask, but I don’t. The room before…
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Shhh!
Lord, it happened again. I overheard not one, but TWO conversations at the same time. I nearly lost my mind. When confronted with this scenario, many people would ignore the chatter completely while others might eagerly lean in for juicy tidbits of gossip. However, those who live with developmental differences like autism or ADHD incur…
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We Can Do Better
Everyone takes everything too seriously. Becoming offended by what someone else has to say just wastes time. People on the internet today argue merely to win. In this era, especially this past year, people firmly believe that their opinions and ideals are absolute truth. They post countless Instagram stories that condemn other opinions, with some…
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An Immigrant. An Enigma.
I was a typical American girl, craving a bite at the big apple, a picture-perfect life, the American dream. However, I was actually just a young girl, festering in the insecurities and struggles that come with being an immigrant. While the world is slowly becoming privy to the dilemmas of illegal immigration, not many people…
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Trap
Scratchy sheets. A faint but constant beep. I blink an eye open and my morning routine begins—kicking off with the daily, yet still shocking, realization that I lay not in the comfort of my queen-size bed, but in the cold darkness of Room 311, on the third floor of a hospital I had only visited…
