Ramblings of a Midwest Woman

My students are currently working on descriptive essays in Creative Writing, where they focus on their favorite food and the memories they have associated with it. We end up calling these essays their "food and family" essays because that is what's at the heart of it. As we talk about food and the people we love, I felt inspired to create one of my own as an example. Here is my own "food and family" essay:               Growing up, I always identified with my mom’s side of the family more than my dad’s. It seemed to have more culture and traditions that I wanted to learn and carry on. I don’t why I had this desire to learn family history, but that yearning still continues today.               My Grandma Rose’s side is Czechoslovakian, which we always called Bohemian. My grandma could speak a little Czech, and the recipes and foods she made were clearly influenced by Eastern E...

I've been struggling a lot this past year. I'm pretty sure I've always suffered from depression and anxiety; at least, I have ever since I can remember. I'm not sure when it started. There was the summer I went to three funerals. I think I was eight or nine, and within a month, three people I knew died: my uncle, my grandfather, and my sister's friend. I don't remember my parents talking to me or trying to help guide me that summer. I had never been to a funeral before, and all this death made me feel odd. I remember going back to school feeling different. Kids would play at recess, and I would sit there on the sidelines by myself. I wanted to be left alone.  I remember always hating recess. There was too much pressure. Find a friend. Play an activity. Be fun and friendly! Even in elementary school, these things didn't come to me naturally as they seemed to with other kids. I didn't have a group of friends. Playing kickball or any type of "sport...