You already say this word all the time…but do you realize how powerful it really is? — You look around at your life and wonder, “Why does everyone else accomplish more than me? What’s the secret? What am I doing wrong?” …

The incident happened more than three years ago when I was 49 years old. I wrote this piece about it the next day. I described the details of my experience not only to process my own feelings, but also to offer parents and caregivers a sense of what an active shooter emergency feels like. At the end of my account, I’ve included statements from the college students with whom I hid. — Note: A version of the piece below was originally published on ChicagoNow on March 15, 2018.

An experiment in equal parts frustration…and hope. — I’m really, REALLY fed up from spending hours upon hours writing posts that get little to no engagement and/or earn next to nothing. And so, what happens if I just crank out content from the gut, thereby liberating myself from the soul-sucking vortex of pouring my heart into overwritten posts…

“My God, we’re at war.” — “Are you watching the news?” It’s my mother calling, and she never reaches out at this time of day. She knows I’m juggling the morning madness of nursing a baby and getting a three-year-old ready for preschool. “I’m … um, no, I’m not watching TV right now—what’s going on?” As…

Desperate for things to return to “normal”, many of us now find ourselves struggling — At the end of February 2020, just as word began to spread about a global pandemic, I was already isolating, cocooned in my home following major abdominal surgery. And so, when the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders came down the pike in March that year, I barely blinked. In the months prior…

Here’s my story…and a breakdown of my earnings. — Can you earn a living as a freelancer? Hell yes, you can, and I’m living proof. Here’s how I did it, including the path I took, a breakdown of my 2020 and 2021 earnings (thru 9/21), and some juicy details and helpful hints about how I pulled in more than…

Despite Gov. Jay Inslee’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, many stand opposed, and not without some consequences. One Washington firefighter explains why he pushes for “medical freedom” and wants to #StoptheMandate. — I do a doubletake when I see the social media post: “I Stand For Medical Freedom” and “#StopTheMandate”. This post is from a firefighter in Washington State—and he happens to be a dear, family friend. He’s a front-line worker who’s opposed to the vaccine. How is this even possible?

I didn’t speak to my father the last twenty years of his life. I never stopped loving him. I just chose to love myself more. — My father’s 76th birthday would have been June 29, 2021, but we didn’t celebrate it. He passed away of esophageal cancer in 2010, more than 10 years ago. And if that’s all you knew, you’d be right to assume that the day might have been one filled with wistful remembrances…

How to write for WTW and submit your work. — Now accepting nonfiction, fiction, and poetry! Who are we? Women This Way is a digital magazine dedicated to stories by and about those who identify as women as they navigate the world, with an emphasis on authentic storytelling and actionable takeaways for readers of every gender. Interested in writing for us? Here’s how: 1. Be added as a writer Join us by commenting on this…