“My husband [Jack Spurlock] passed away a few years ago. He had Parkinson’s. “It started with tremors in his hands. He would go to drink his coffee, and he would shake a little bit. He’d have to hold the cup with two hands. We took … Continue reading‘Being a widow was a new chapter in my life’
“When I was a little kid, my father took me to see an uncle in the hospital in Mexico. My uncle had gotten into an argument with his dad, my grandfather. It was over money he gave to a woman. I think he wanted to … Continue reading‘What’s a beautiful memory for you was a nightmare for me’
“I grew up in a household where I never saw affection. Well, I saw it from one individual, the female, but not from the male. He was always too macho. “It was a physically abusive environment. Not toward me, but the female. When I saw … Continue reading‘I had a lot of confusion about how a man should treat a woman’
“I have dyslexia. I started really noticing it near the end of my sophomore year in high school. I had trouble staying focused on one topic, and I would mix-match letters sometimes. “It was kind of distracting at first, but I didn’t really get frustrated. … Continue readingHe doesn’t let dyslexia define him
“I just moved into an apartment. Just got a new car. Just got this dog. It all happened in one month. It’s exciting. It’s the next step, the next chapter for me. “The dog was kind of a surprise. But I had been planning the … Continue readingHe finds that saving money pays off
“I was really young when I had my boys. I got pregnant at 12, and I was 15 when I had the second one. Basically, I was raising my babies while I was still a baby. I raised them while going to school. It was … Continue readingYoung mother proud of sons and herself
“I remember everything. I was 7 years old when she started being nauseous and feeling weak. I would walk her to the restroom and back to the living room. At first, she thought she was pregnant. But it was cancer. And it spread. It attacked … Continue readingShe continues her mother’s life lessons
“I got my CNA [certified nursing assistant] license and started working at an all-boys CPS [Child Protective Services] facility. I went in there with a good mental state a year ago. I thought I could handle it and make a difference. But it didn’t work … Continue readingCaregiver redirects efforts to help elderly
“I went walking today, and I found this beat-up basketball over there in the grass. I thought, I may as well see if I can still shoot. “I played sports in high school, basketball and football. It’s been a while, though. I’m 56. I didn’t … Continue reading‘I’m moving parts that haven’t moved in years’
“I see the question all the time: what do you want to be when you grow up? But I tell my son, that’s the wrong question. It should be: what do you want to be now? Your mind is going to keep changing as you … Continue readingYoung writer gets lots of encouragement from dad