Girl Drew

When I met Megan, she was holding a box of donuts. It was March 2021, and we were standing in my parents’ driveway, leery of COVID-19. Megan had been at the doctor that morning for bloodwork, and she and her mom, Marcie, stopped by after with donuts to share. We originally connected on Instagram. After Ramón’s cancer diagnosis, I began sharing his story on social media. I’ve never been great at Instagram, but I added hashtags related to his specific diagnosis, #acutemyeloidle

I was embarrassed to admit I wanted to be a writer for a very long time. I was fearful of seeming unrealistic, for one, but putting my wish out into the universe also meant I could fail. I wasn't thrilled about that thought, either. In recent years, though, I've realized I was only failing myself. How can you pursue a dream if you don't even acknowledge its existence? You won't. That's how. Or you might tell yourself you're pursuing it while knowing deep down that you're fool

"Today's date is the 20th," the poll worker announced this morning as I completed paperwork to vote in Georgia's (very important) election. The 20th jumped out at me, as it often does. I got married on one 20th, and I became a widow on another 20th. After doing some quick calculations, including counting on my fingers, I realized it's been exactly 27 months since Ramón died. But when anyone asks, I say it's been just over two years. It's like when you ask a parent their child

I hugged a sign last weekend, and it hugged me back. It’s official! At this very moment, cars are driving over the Judge Ramón Alvarado Bridge in Gwinnett County. I am overjoyed and grateful to everyone who made this possible, especially State Representative Chuck Efstration for proposing the bill, which passed unanimously. I spoke at the event, and here’s my best attempt to recap what I said. Ramón pulled into a parking spot as we ran errands one afternoon. As we exited the