Word Nerd Wednesday: It’s the Climb

This week’s word is one I think everyone can relate to at some point in their lives. Here’s my little story about it:

One beautiful Saturday morning, Sarah and her friends, Maddie and Jake, decide to go for a hike in the mountains. The trail is steep, covered in branches and bushes. Sharp rocks jut out from every angle and roots twist through the dirt. The air grows thinner as they climb, and Sarah is struggling. With every step, her muscles burn and her lungs ache. Her feet keep getting snagged on roots, and thorny branches scratch her arms. She begins to wonder if this was all a huge mistake. (more…)

We need to talk about “crazy”

It all started with an eight-year-old kid. I was a eighteen-year-old camp counselor at an outdoor center and he was one of my campers. Let’s call him Evan.

Evan had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, something my co-counselor and I knew because one of us took him to the infirmary for his medication every morning. Evan was very aware of his own diagnosis. He used to say, “if I don’t get my meds, I’m gonna go crazy!” (more…)