Lying awake with my head on the chest of a sleeping person gently cupping my wrist, and feeling their chest rise and fall, and feeling their body so totally relaxed, makes me realize why puppies and kittens sleep better with a ticking clock in their bed.
Play a Day: Love Yourself
Spotlight up on a woman jogging on a treadmill. Lights down. Spotlight up on two women, laughing over frozen yogurt with sprinkles and marshmallows. Lights down. Spotlight up on a woman answering the doorbell for the pizza delivery man. Lights down. Spotlight up on a woman relaxing in a bubble bath. Lights down. Spotlight up […]
Play a Day: Good Times
Several female friends snuggled up together under blankets on a bed, chatting until they fall asleep.
Play a Day: Flower or Gardener?
An individual in coveralls and a straw hat sits on a bench, head in their hands. A watering can sits unattended beside them. Another individual wearing a flower costume enters stage left. The flower attempts to get the notice of the gardener to no avail. No amount of posturing, throat clearing, pretty posing, allowing sniffing, […]
Play a Day: Why Pet Owners Live Longer
A woman sits at her desk, working on the computer. A cat lies on the adjacent couch, napping. The woman looks up from her work momentarily and sees the cat. She sighs, thinking how lucky it is, and returns to her work. Moments pass. The woman looks over at the cat again. She closes the […]
Play a Day: Good-bye, Dear Friend
A waiting room. A man and a woman sit on a bench, holding hands. A box of tissues are on the windowsill beside them. Quiet instrumental music plays. The man grabs a tissue and sobs for a moment before calming himself again. The woman leans her head on his shoulder and squeezes his hand tightl, […]
What’s in a Name?
As it’s gotten closer to Valentine’s Day, I’ve been thinking a lot about relationships and love and labels. My partner and I are polyamorous. But not in the sense of the traditional poly narrative. Polyamory seems to have become more prominent in the cultural consciousness of late, but a lot of our discussions about it still […]
Book Review: More Than Two
More Than Two is a new, comprehensive guide to polyamory by Franklin Veaux and Eve Rickert. For years, Veaux has blogged about polyamory on http://www.morethantwo.com/, and the book is an outgrowth of that work. More Than Two is divided into both sections and chapters, providing advice on multiple aspects of polyamory. After answering the question, […]
You Should Know
I know I cannot speak for everyone; perhaps some who attempt or complete suicide don’t care. All that follows is based on my own experience. But I feel it is important to break the silence in this instance, to come out against the myth that suicide equals not caring for one reason: I know I did. I wish I could express how deeply and profoundly it’s possible to care. I wish I had words for the guilt compounding already unbearable pain and desperation.
For those who are grieving over the loss of a loved one to suicide, I want to say I feel sure they loved you very much. I am sure the thought of you kept them going for many days, weeks, or months longer than they would have otherwise. They also knew you loved them, and there is nothing you could have said or done to stop them. But love isn’t always enough.