It was during my 5000 Words Writing Class that I first heard the news about my brain tumor. I'd be lying if I said it was easy to focus during the weeks leading up to my surgery. I let some things go, like this announcement. The stories that follow were written by my students, all …
Continue reading Announcing the Winners of the 5000 Words Creative Writing Contest
There once was a woman, a wife, a mother, a teacher, a writer, a child of God. In that order. She was interrupted. It was a lightning strike. (Your chances of that happening are like your chances of being stru—) Lightning: March 8th, in the middle of teaching a class. A brain tumor. After the strike …
I had brain surgery on April 6th. I spent four days in the hospital, and have been pretty much fused to my recliner since my return home. I sleep there, day and night. I know God held me together as Bob drove to the hospital. At 5:45 it was still dark. Not many cars were on …
For my blogging friends, I wanted to let you know my tumor was removed. I await news on whether or not it’s benign, but I am hopeful. Next to me is my best friend and newly-appointed nurse. I felt held by God and the love of family and friends. Will post when I feel up …
Hi Husband. For me, the operation will pass in a blink. For you...well, it warms me to know you'll be praying, that you love me, and that you'll still think me pretty even with my red badge of courage. Since I can't travel into the future to take a picture of our next meeting, I …
We’re all helpless. Sometimes it’s more obvious. I am Obvious, capital “O.” How I usually fool myself about helplessness is by doing hard things. Doing hard things makes me feel strong. I can overcome the next hard thing and the next...but with my tumor, there is no amount of running, no HIIT routine, no weightlifting …
I am living out the age-old stumbling block: how can a good God allow bad things to happen? The question becomes so much more interesting when you add two little words: ...to me? God, how can You let a brain tumor happen to me? Because when it happens to someone else, we can justify it …
The first time I recall being comforted by God, it was an intellectual decision. I was twenty and living in a section of SanDiego where you couldn't get a pizza delivered. Too dangerous. So when I heard the following logic my heart was soft to it: Imagine you are in an alleyway in a bad …
I don't know how to start this, but I've always been a fan of the snapshot of the mind. Here is the snapshot of my mind. Contrary to what you may be thinking, this is not going to be funny. Some of you I know in life, and some are my friends through this blog. Either way, …
I am blessed to have people who believe in me, even (and especially) when I don't believe in myself. Like the ones who scrawled my work-in-progress in the sand while they were vacationing. We thought of you, it said. We love you, it said. I now understand why writers make such a big deal about …
Continue reading Writing: The Reach that Doesn’t Sleep or Die
KL Griffiths 