From the Caregiver's HAErt — Danita LaShelle Jones

“So there was an incident,” she said when I entered the play area where my son was waiting. When I was hired as a high school teacher six weeks after my oldest son was…

The Tyrannosaurus rex had already done a number on the all-terrain truck. And while the movie’s hero, Dr. Grant, had saved one child from the wreckage, Tim, a frightened young boy, was still stuck…

“He feels betrayed,” I said to my student as she sat in her chair. “So there are different emotions your character has to have once she realizes he’s poisoned her.” My actress nodded in…

My aunt laughed as she set the beverage down on the coffee table. “Go ahead,” she coaxed, “try it!” I stared at the clear plastic cup in front of me. The liquid looked like…

The familiar ding of the message notification pulled me out of my deep concentration. Between article deadlines, productions meetings, and numerous writing consultations, I was used to pausing to answer messages from clients, actors,…

The cast was revving up for the midsong dance break, with 16 counts left. Because the performers occupied the stage and the floor, I took weeks to choreograph the musical number to account for…

The narrator had me at the edge of my seat. Finally, after almost an hour, I was sure I knew how this would end. And then, plot twist! It was the friend from the…

“Nope!” I said matter-of-factly to my general practitioner. “The only thing that does is make me feel loopy.” “We can’t have that,” he replied. He jotted something down on his trusty prescription pad, ripped…

With seconds left in the game and our team down by only a few baskets, we were on the edge of our seats. Because our church team was smaller than most, our starting lineup…

It was almost over. The fine arts magnet school I attended was almost done with a Broadway-worthy, 13-show run of the school’s Christmas musical. The musical itself was a massive undertaking. “Mr.

Snacks for the van? Organized! Blankets and pillows for anyone who wants to get comfy while sleeping? Washed and ready! DVDs for the movie marathon the kids will start on the road? Check! Noise-canceling…

I placed the final piece of clothing in my overnight bag and zipped it shut. Although we were still about 48 hours away from check-in, I was over the moon about the “staycation” my…