The other night, my favorite 13-year-old ever called me and said, “Kaka, all my so-called friends are talking bad about me behind my back.”  Of course, me being her older sister, I wanted to handle...

When I was little I used to think nothing could touch or harm the people I loved the most.  Well, then I grew up and life got a little complicated. Christmas time used to be the best time of year.  My...

Less than a week away from my favorite holiday of the year and I’m excited. Thanksgiving is a holiday that is enjoyable for a lot of people and for me it's my favorite.  I can’t even think about...

I should not have to explain myself or keep apologizing for everything.  My anxiety has been through the roof, it is the end of the semester rush.  And when my anxiety gets like this, all I do...

 Can you imagine it?  Passing by relieved pupils with happy faces in the halls, packing your things for a great trip and making the drive back home in the cold of November. A relief from the tumult...

There is nothing quite like family time. After being away at school for a second year, I thought I was immune to being homesick. I was wrong. I missed home so much that I started to feel like I was falling...

It’s October now. For most people, October is about Halloween and haunted houses. For me, it’s about trying to forget about my biological father's birthday because of our strained relationship. Last...

I didn’t like coffee—at least, not at first. It took several years of drinks littered with sugar and the slightest coffee taste to slowly build myself up to a point where I could drink it any other...

I never had a pet growing up. I had fish, but you can't snuggle fish. You can't really play with fish. I always wanted a dog, so when I started renting my first house here in Charleston, I decided...

Sometimes in life you have to really evaluate what is important and what is not. I have had to do this a lot lately, and it includes determining whether or not certain people should be a part of my life. There...

It truly is amazing how some of your own family members can be the ones that aim to bring you down. Unfortunately, I’ve experienced this tragedy practically my entire life with certain people in my...

Karen … Katrina … Korenna? My name has been said and spelled many different ways. From leaving out a letter to adding a letter, I know when my name is being called when the teacher starts to sound...