Sometimes it’s a story about snakes, or salamanders, or something else, but today it’s a story about spiders.  I love spiders. Genuinely. I love what they do for the world, I love the beautiful things they create, and I love that they keep undesirable critters out of my home.  I know that most of them are just going about their little spider lives doing little spider things, but occasionally, a spider might lunge at me and do some serious harm.  Like most women, and a lot of

Growing up in a Midwestern, military-infused culture, being called “sensitive” was a major insult. It translated to a weakness, a character flaw, or an overall disadvantage that might even be contagious and compromise others. Cooties, if you will. As a very sensitive kid, I felt like I had to try to hide my sensitivity so I didn’t get called that horrible name. This led to years of being called “shy,” because some people didn’t feel safe. Years of being called “moody” because