Beth Meyer

One of my most distinct childhood memories is of my mom reading Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day  to me and my brother.   As the title suggests, the story follows a young boy named Alexander whose day isn't going as planned. From his mom forgetting to pack dessert in his lunch, to discovering he has a cavity, to the shoe store not having the sneakers he wants, everything seems off. Add in things like lima beans at dinner, a bath that’s too hot, and his favorite...

It’s been two months since my mom died, and I’ve been waiting. Waiting to turn a corner. Waiting to feel settled. Waiting for her to show up in the ways people promise loved ones do. I thought by now something would have shifted — a glow on the horizon, a sign, a sense that I was moving out of this. Instead, I’m learning that grief doesn’t move on my timeline. It doesn’t respond to impatience or bargaining. It simply expects me to walk with it, and honestly, it feels like walking through tar....

Whether you identify as a Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent — or no party at all — many of us can agree that the world, and particularly the U.S., feels unsettling, even scary, right now. Although I intentionally limit news intake for the sake of my mental wellbeing — disturbing images, videos, and stories still find their way in. They linger. They shake the nervous system. They leave me feeling confused, saddened, and unsure of what comes next. What troubles me most isn’t a...