Published inILLUMINATION·PinnedMember-onlyMedium Writer Michaela Parker Releases Debut Memoir on Amazon Kindle — Free…Free Promo Feb 8–9, 2023Memoir1 min readMemoir1 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·PinnedMember-onlyNew Memoir about Trauma and Triumph. Readers are invited on a journey…My journey of post-traumatic survival and healingMental Health1 min readMental Health1 min read
Published inMuddyUm·Jan 2Member-only’Twas the Night After Christmas — If I Were a Cat — Which I AmBy Christmas, The Cat — ’Twas the night after Christmas as I lie awake in my palace I couldn’t keep from thinking there was bound to be malice. The giants were tucked comfortably in their beds but I could not sleep with thoughts of hunting in my head. Though I was not surprised when I…Cats3 min readCats3 min read
Published inMuddyUm·Dec 29, 2022Member-onlyAll I Want for Christmas Is You to Let Me Have What I WantMy man cave needs an upgrade — First, I need a man cave. And a house in the suburbs with a basement or garage to set it all up in. For reasons I just can’t fathom, the family is content with apartment living at the edge of the city. I Want a House We’ve lived in our apartment for nearly a…Satire5 min readSatire5 min read
Published inMuddyUm·Dec 27, 2022Member-onlyMother of Exactly One Cat Plans Family Expansion, Much to Father’s DemiseAnything for love of cats — I’d like to expand our little family from just the three us to maybe four or five but I’d settle at four. Absolutely not! You said just imagine two or three cats perpetually on the wrong side of the door. I have imagined it and that is why I want more…Satire2 min readSatire2 min read
Published inILLUMINATION-Curated·Nov 24, 2022Member-onlyHow to Find Joy in Holidays without Your Loved OnesThe pandemic was nothing compared to life without them now — This year won’t be the first holiday I’ve spent apart from my loved ones. I’ve had many like that. If I live long enough, I’ll have many more. Recognize that Being Apart is Not the Same as Being Gone From being away at school and relocating for work to simply settling down and spending holidays with my spouse’s family, I’ve spent…Personal Essay8 min readPersonal Essay8 min read
Nov 1, 2022Modern Women: Writing Prompts8366Megan LlorenteThese are the best writing prompts I've seen in a while - certainly the best I've ever seen on…These are the best writing prompts I've seen in a while - certainly the best I've ever seen on Medium! Not so vague that absolutely nothing comes to mind. They're focused and specific yet broad enough to be widely applicable to almost anyone. Well done and thanks!1 min read1 min read
Published inMuddyUm·Oct 23, 2022Member-onlyOde to Fruitcake — A Poem in Honor Mother Dear’s Take on Holiday CakeHow my heart doth ache — Oh, how I love a homemade fruitcake! Alas, not nearly enough partake to render worthwhile the grit and the guile necessary for my mom to bake her own rendition of a Christmas tradition, Caribbean Black Cake.Fruitcake3 min readFruitcake3 min read
Published inCinemania·Oct 20, 2022Member-onlyThe Chippendales Are Not The Rescue RangersMy mother was furious with Blockbuster — Chip ‘n Dale and Chippendales are virtually indistinguishable in many regional dialects, especially in Southeast USA. When I was growing up in the 1980s, a Chippendale reference could be about furniture, cartoons, or strippers. Which reference do you think a child would be excited about? And which do you think…Pop Culture8 min readPop Culture8 min read
Published inPolarXpression·Updated Feb 14, 2022Member-onlyThe Scary Reason I Quit Binge Drinking as a Teenager in College — Memoir Book ChapterAnd how I found love agape — Content Warning: Language, Alcohol, Sex, Sexual Trauma, Childhood Trauma, Teenage Trauma, Mental Illness, Bipolar Disorder, Manic Episode, Mania I was 15 years old and in college living on campus. I was on my very best behavior that year. It was such an honor and a privilege to be away from…Memoir17 min readMemoir17 min read
