Surrounded by a dynamic world that is always in motion, people often experience pivotal moments of change, whether it is intended or not. Everyone’s story of how the world morphed them is different, and fear often accompanies these changes—fear of the unknown or simply of whatever looms ahead. However, in the face of this grief is often when people must act braver than ever before. They must...

The subtle hum of a bird’s song did not wake me nor did the sun’s ascent, rather my eyes suddenly opened in response to a sharp crash that strained my body. The morning light leaked through the drab, unsightly window. Although brilliant, it felt blinding. A voice, undoubtedly frustrated, cascaded down the hallway, only to be stopped by my withering, wooden door. I could sense it was my mother’s...

I placed my hand over my chest to remind myself I was still alive, despite the fact that every thought racing through my head reeked of my demise, my death, and the end of anything I’ve ever loved. But, I forced myself to keep my hand there, feeling my perpetual pulse pound against my weak and unsteady hands. With each successive bomb that pierced the dense air, ringing vehemently in the surrounding...

“Happy birthday Ivan! Make a wish.” My mother beamed, smiling from ear to ear. Circled around the graceless, worn table, delighted faces all stared towards me, waiting for the flames of the two candles to extinguish. My eyes settled on the wax candles—a one and a zero entombed in the frosting. I knew I had to make a perfect wish; reaching double digits is a big deal. I finally shut my eyes ...

Dear Damir, There’s been a crow outside my window for days. He won’t leave. I’ve tried everything; I even threw my pencil at it, and he barely flinched! What a silly bird, isn’t it? So dark and so grim in complexion. Mama says to shut my eyes or to simply ignore it. “Focus on the beauty behind and around the unsightly animal, Mila,” she’ll say to me. And, what’s even crazier is t...

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a woman more beautiful than Mama. That’s all that I could think about as I stood in the heart of the local market downtown. I was surrounded by a rainbow of food stacked obediently on wagons and shelves of street vendors. An incessant stream of people shuffled past my immobile self: children, frail elderly couples, working men, charming women. Everything was rich...

From where I laid—on the floor of my room, adjacent to my window—not even a glimpse of what raged outside my window interfered with my vision. However, what my sight lacked, my hearing compensated for, for beyond the wall beside me, an insolent howl intruded the air. An unforgiving storm it was, and I allowed the deafening crackle of the untamed tempest to smother my conscience. I focused...

“Sandra, you look like a flower—so beautiful.” Although I stood in a crowded room, I whipped my head around toward the direction of the voice, slightly startled by the sound of my name. Quicky, however, my suspicion eased, melting into a soft relief once I saw Anja’s beaming smile. “Thank you, love. I tried to make it seem like Luca didn’t miss a thing,” I replied, gently reaching...

Everyone sat around the dining room table, surrounding Luca like planets orbiting the sun. Few voices bounced off the wall as the room filled with subtle conversation and strained laughter. I smiled, genuinely pleased with the warm reconciliation that was occurring. “Yes, yes, being home is wonderful, of course,” Luca said. “It smells like—” he hesitated, looking up and taking a few sniffs....

I felt tempted to go outside and allow my body to become enveloped by the snow. The way it fell from the sky looked so elegant, so placid, and I wanted to simply become a part of its divinity. I wanted to become a part of its subtle beauty and leave the uncomfortable quietness that flooded the room. All I could hear was Luca’s breath—a forced, monotonous repetition of inhalation. I looked over...