From the Caregiver's HAErt — Danita LaShelle Jones

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…

In my mind, it happened in slow motion. I didn’t have time to react in real time as my poor compact car was broadsided by a vehicle that had ill-timed the changing of the…

The light from the dining room was the only one shining in the dark house. The hour was late, and being home from college for the summer, I figured I was the only one…

I have vague memories of the encounter. I remember sitting on the exam table and asking if I was getting a shot that day in the most authoritative voice I could muster. When the…

I triumphantly pressed enter and marveled at my epic post on social media. There were no hospital visits, no rushes to the emergency room, and no urgent phone calls to after-hour physicians’ lines. Our…