Author: Erin Skinner Smith
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Opting Out of the Holidays: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy for Moms
She stormed back into the living room. Exact scene. Football. Devices. Dirty sneakers. No drinks, no fire, no move to get grandma or butter. Charlotte had read an article about imagined future nostalgia, an ingrained drive in people – specifically mothers – to curate a perfect holiday so that their children will reminisce fondly about holidays…
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To Think and Give Thanks
We all want to be happy. But what does that even mean? For most, it means having our health, a loving family, a job we enjoy, and financial stability. Yet we exist in a culture that conflates happiness with a consumption of goods rather than with our values. We’re told that luxury and convenience bring…
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Shaking the World in a Gentle Way
When the feelings feel too big, trade your peace-stealing phone for something that gives comfort instead – a puppy with soft ears, a slice of perfectly toasted bread, a book you’ve read a hundred times and still love. Hug someone and forgive someone and send someone a text so they know you love them. Establish boundaries and…
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Chaos, the God of Emptiness
The ancient Greeks described the goddess Chaos (χάος) as the personification of primordial emptiness, the space that existed before time. Chaos is not a goddess, or not just a goddess anyway. She is a place, a state of being, the first thing to ever exist. Chaos played a fundamental, foundational role in the creation of our entire universe. Chaos teaches…
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Nonessential Employees and Transactions with Beauty
I was recently cleaning out my desk drawers when I came across the letter I received in March 2020 from Frankfort politely asking me to shut down my business while the COVID-19 state of emergency raged, as I was considered a nonessential employee. Nonessential employees are those who perform work that’s not considered necessary during…
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For the Recovering Perfectionists
As a recovering perfectionist, I am enamored with the idea of peace over perfectionism. Perfectionism is a trauma response and a completely valid reaction to a world seemingly gone mad, a way for us to (seemingly) exert a sense of control. It worked for me for many years. I studied my way into a 4.0…
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The Great Balancing Act (or, Little Frogs Can’t Jump)
Have you ever heard of the pumpkin toadlet? It is a very, very small frog from Brazil (all toads are frogs; the two terms are taxonomically meaningless). These cuties, which could easily fit on your thumbnail, have the smallest vestibular system of any vertebrate on record. Because the bones in their ears are so small, the fluid…
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On the Road Again
I ran track for a short time in college. It was a total lark; the inane rules dictated you needed three women to compete in the broad jump and Centre College had only two. Ashley, the lead jumper, had heard I was a former gymnast and asked if I would consider being their third. “How…
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What I Learned from the Green Snake in My Garden
During the pandemic, David started mowing a walking path for me through the field on our property. Last week I was hiking when I almost stepped on a bright green snake sunning itself, draped across the narrow mowed path. Now, these so-called rough green snakes (opheodrys aestivus) are as common as field mice in my neck…
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Unfollow Your Way to a Happier Day
Everything is terrible. And everything is beautiful. It’s a paradox, but it’s also true. Everything is both better and worse than it used to be. On one hand, we are wealthier, healthier, safer, and more informed than ever. Global life expectancy has more than doubled in the past century. Far fewer people live in severe poverty. War, disease,…