Growing up, my mom was always the one I talked to. Then, she passed away when I was only thirteen...

My family got smaller when I was 12 after my dad became suddenly ill. He was rushed to hospital and died four months later...

I fell on my face so many times I lost count, but the thing that made my life different was that I refused to stay down...

I have lived a life of colors, starting with mostly dark shades until I finally reached the bright hues I’m in today...

When I was six years old, I sat in a chair and pretended to nurse my dolls. I was very conscientious with them as I cared for their...

A patient of mine, a World War II veteran, sat in front of me on the examination table. I made a note in his health card and suggested...

I once met a woman named Mary, and Mary was quite contrary. She loved planting and making things grow. We met in LA, and ever since...

From an early age, I showed an interest in becoming a police officer, or rather, I became interested in adventure and excitement...

As we built our life together, I was excited to learn that I was pregnant in July of 1990. Dreams of whether I’d be buying blue or pink...

What makes a person unique? One just has to look up at the night sky. Just as each star differs from all the others, each of us...

As a little girl, I observed the life of my mother and vowed to be different. Better. More intentional. I promised myself that I would...

A life without its own identity is nothing but a shadow. It clings to another and hides from the sun...

Since I was a child, I’ve been an open book and eager to have new experiences. I wanted to “see the world,” and perhaps, find...

Every day, I walk the streets and select a place that is not far off from my walled city of Lahore, Pakistan. I put down a cloth to sit...

With tears in her eyes, she softly said, “I am glad you are here, Papito, and even if you’ll be in a wheelchair, I still want you to...

I was born into a conservative Christian family in Nigeria in 1991 as the fifth born of six kids. Our days were happy, but strict...

Sadly, every beautiful story is entangled with a monster. The monsters that haunted my life and broke my sweet laughter were violators...

I am a doubter, a pessimist by nature, who can drain any half-full glass in a single gulp or scrub any silver lining out of existence...

All of us have been given a purpose—I believe it. Finding it is the challenge, and once finding it, taking the risks necessary to fulfill...

Even when he did seemingly nice things like drop us off at church, he was really only doing it because it was on the way to a bar...