From the Caregiver's HAErt — Danita LaShelle Jones

My counter looked as if I were starring in a cooking show on the Food Network. I’d separated my ingredients into bowls, the oil was slowly heating to a perfect temperature, and my homemade sauce was simmering. Because food…

Before Blu-ray players in car consoles, satellite radios, or small screens synced to wireless headphones, families found ways to entertain themselves when faced with long road trips. Growing up, our family of four didn’t go on many road trips,…

“We know that once the baby gets here, we’ll be able to establish a schedule, and we will be more organized and finally be able to get some rest,” the woman on the television said. I laughed so hard…

I finally did it. After putting it off for several years, I finally decided to have my abdominal hernias repaired. I did everything to prepare for the surgery. I talked with the doctors about the procedure, watched YouTube videos,…

Each breath she attempted to take was mixed with a desperate cough that sounded like gravel under a construction boot. Instinctively, I tried to get closer to help, as did others who were witnessing the medical emergency, but her…

“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 born, we were blessed to…

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 in the overturned vehicle. Suddenly,…

“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 agreement and repositioned herself to…

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 my favorite soda (or pop,…

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, and editors. So I lazily…

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 my high school students’ safety.

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 beginning of the episode. My…