When in April of 2011 I lost my mother to breast cancer, I also lost my way. Perseverance and a never give up attitude is certainly something I learned from my Italian American upbringing as well as a love of writing, reading books and the arts. Navigating the grieving process, I turned to writing as a healing tool. I started simply. I would wake in the morning and read from a book that resonated with me.

I am inspired by everyday things, creative design, books, music, movies, growing things, and–most of all–people. People I know, people who lived long ago, and the people who now live only in my imagination, such as my grandparents or people I meet in books.

This piece is titled “Fear of Him”. It is about a time in my life when I kept quite about a series of situations in fear of what would happen if I spoke up. It is too common women are belittled by boys because boys think they can do anything they want. I think it is important to note that women are so much stronger than what society views us as.