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Abstract

     </a>
    </div><h2 id="4d93">4. A father’s wisdom</h2><p id="8a13">Lamenting the fact my sons had lost their father right as they were entering their teenage years, I set out to teach them the lessons I sure he would have modeled. My second most popular piece, it’s the first one in the trilogy mentioned above and the one that got me on <a href="undefined">The Good Men Project</a> radar.</p><div id="9a3e" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://readmedium.com/to-my-sons-lessons-on-manhood-i-learned-from-your-father-e415da6f2a00">
        <div>
          <div>
            <h2>To My Sons: Lessons on Manhood I Learned From Your Father</h2>
            <div><h3>undefined</h3></div>
            <div><p>undefined</p></div>
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          <div>
            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*22aVNQBc9BN51cj7Mp1zlQ.jpeg)"></div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </a>
    </div><h2 id="b46c">5. My first piece with a purpose</h2><p id="4b66">My oldest son is a Type 1 diabetic. I was asked to speak at numerous American Diabetes Association fundraisers and tell our story. This is based on that speech.</p><div id="1014" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://humanparts.medium.com/the-beast-that-lives-within-6cd3e49a7c8a">
        <div>
          <div>
            <h2>The Beast That Lives Within</h2>
            <div><h3>Our Family’s Experience with Type 1 Diabetes</h3></div>
            <div><p>humanparts.medium.com</p></div>
          </div>
          <div>
            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*jZOk3vjO9_81qBANTwVaiw.jpeg)"></div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </a>
    </div><h2 id="4ecb">6. Cha Ching$</h2><p id="3088">To my surprise, this one caught the eye of GEN editors. First official paycheck from Medium.</p><div id="df67" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://gen.medium.com/i-have-an-autoimmune-disorder-will-covid-19-make-me-a-second-class-citizen-c5766a0b8643">
        <div>
          <div>
            <h2>I Have an Autoimmune Disorder. Will I Ever Be Welcome to Reenter Society?</h2>
            <div><h3>I worry that antibodies and immunities tests will divide those who are allowed to reenter society, and those who are…</h3></div>
            <div><p>gen.medium.com</p></div>
          </div>
          <div>
            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*aM4LNPE_H2nwxOiZVnG5rA.jpeg)"></div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </a>
    </div><h2 id="8295">7. Expanding horizons</h2><p id="3a85">Medium pieces often get noticed by other publications. Grabbing the attention of The Kindness Blog, they eventually featured it on <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/for-better-or-worse-a-25th-anniversary-love-letter-to-my-dead-husband_b_7213722">Huffington Post</a>.</p><div id="0d5a" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://humanparts.medium.com/for-better-or-worse-9cdad26af3ef">
        <div>
          <div>
            <h2>For Better or Worse</h2>
            <div><h3>A 25th Anniversary Love Letter to my Dead Husband</h3></div>
            <div><p>humanparts.medium.com</p></div>

Options

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        </div>
      </a>
    </div><h2 id="a084">8. Striking out on my own</h2><p id="2957">After the success of <i>For Better or Worse</i>, I decided to pitch the Huffington Post directly. This is the story that gained me entry into their now discontinued Contributing Columnist program.</p><div id="2f90" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://readmedium.com/10-reasons-im-thankful-for-my-hysterectomy-b808676681b4">
        <div>
          <div>
            <h2>10 Reasons I’m Thankful for My Hysterectomy</h2>
            <div><h3>My personal account of why I am grateful to have discarded the center of my wombiverse</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
          </div>
          <div>
            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*jSLkzczDhPGdY26s57Kusw.jpeg)"></div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </a>
    </div><h2 id="65ba">9. The writer reawakens</h2><p id="cdc2">For a myriad of reasons, I had taken a break from writing. However, quarantine boredom and anxiety woke me from my hibernation. This is one birthed from that resurgence.</p><div id="a0b0" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://readmedium.com/skin-hunger-is-real-and-it-scares-me-to-death-ad69bf90c1d3">
        <div>
          <div>
            <h2>Skin Hunger is Real and it Scares me to Death</h2>
            <div><h3>Will staying out of touch remain our reality?</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
          </div>
          <div>
            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*OjYMCFDiGTPBJJgbh1C_gg.jpeg)"></div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </a>
    </div><h2 id="930f">10. Unrequited love</h2><p id="ab5e">We all have written stories that didn’t get the love — or reads — we thought they deserved. Here is my unsung hero.</p><div id="49b7" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://humanparts.medium.com/where-have-all-the-good-malls-gone-91d7f3425621">
        <div>
          <div>
            <h2>Where Have All The Good Malls Gone?</h2>
            <div><h3>undefined</h3></div>
            <div><p>undefined</p></div>
          </div>
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            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*3K_sOZit7Vc_pdOzagieEw.jpeg)"></div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </a>
    </div><h2 id="7695">A million thanks, kudos, and appreciation</h2><p id="b925">I wanted to thank <a href="undefined">Dr Mehmet Yildiz</a> for his unabashed promotion of our stories. It truly is a momentous task, which he does tirelessly. He has fostered our wonderfully supportive <a href="https://medium.com/illumination">Illumination</a> community and provided a nurturing environment for our writings to bloom. Thanks again (albeit after the fact), to <a href="https://readmedium.com/my-ten-best-stories-5d4a5070f4c2">Kiara</a> for letting me “borrow” your format. Keep on lighting up Medium with your stories my fellow scribes! Can’t wait to read what’s next.</p></article></body>

Image by Miguel Á. Padriñán from Pixabay

My Not-So-Perfect Ten

Striking a happy Medium with my favorite stories

When Dr Mehmet Yildiz first put out the suggestion for Illumination writers to put a list together of their top ten stories, I put the idea on the back burner. Then Kiara put forth her catalog in such an engaging way that I’ve decided to follow suit. And so, my fellow luminaries, here is my list:

1. In the beginning, was the word

I first began writing on Medium in 2014, in the days before curation and the metered paywall. It was my therapy of sorts. Widowed and newly empty-nested, I needed a way to process (and purge) the grief I had been suppressing for years. This was the first piece I posted and one of my most personal.

In Search of Big-Girl Panties

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2. Prize-winning prose

In the early days of Medium, they would often have writing prompt contests. This one was “I told a lie.” Readers would vote on their favorite and the winner would get a t-shirt. The first bit of tangible validation for my writing.

False Bravado

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3. The one with the most reads

The second in a trilogy, this one still has legs and has been distributed to other platforms, including a recent feature on The Good Men Project.

To My Son on His 21st Birthday: Lessons on Manhood Part Two

Dear Son, In my first letter, I related to your brother and you what I had learned about manhood from your father. On…

medium.com

4. A father’s wisdom

Lamenting the fact my sons had lost their father right as they were entering their teenage years, I set out to teach them the lessons I sure he would have modeled. My second most popular piece, it’s the first one in the trilogy mentioned above and the one that got me on The Good Men Project radar.

To My Sons: Lessons on Manhood I Learned From Your Father

undefined

5. My first piece with a purpose

My oldest son is a Type 1 diabetic. I was asked to speak at numerous American Diabetes Association fundraisers and tell our story. This is based on that speech.

The Beast That Lives Within

Our Family’s Experience with Type 1 Diabetes

humanparts.medium.com

6. Cha Ching$

To my surprise, this one caught the eye of GEN editors. First official paycheck from Medium.

I Have an Autoimmune Disorder. Will I Ever Be Welcome to Reenter Society?

I worry that antibodies and immunities tests will divide those who are allowed to reenter society, and those who are…

gen.medium.com

7. Expanding horizons

Medium pieces often get noticed by other publications. Grabbing the attention of The Kindness Blog, they eventually featured it on Huffington Post.

For Better or Worse

A 25th Anniversary Love Letter to my Dead Husband

humanparts.medium.com

8. Striking out on my own

After the success of For Better or Worse, I decided to pitch the Huffington Post directly. This is the story that gained me entry into their now discontinued Contributing Columnist program.

10 Reasons I’m Thankful for My Hysterectomy

My personal account of why I am grateful to have discarded the center of my wombiverse

medium.com

9. The writer reawakens

For a myriad of reasons, I had taken a break from writing. However, quarantine boredom and anxiety woke me from my hibernation. This is one birthed from that resurgence.

Skin Hunger is Real and it Scares me to Death

Will staying out of touch remain our reality?

medium.com

10. Unrequited love

We all have written stories that didn’t get the love — or reads — we thought they deserved. Here is my unsung hero.

Where Have All The Good Malls Gone?

undefined

A million thanks, kudos, and appreciation

I wanted to thank Dr Mehmet Yildiz for his unabashed promotion of our stories. It truly is a momentous task, which he does tirelessly. He has fostered our wonderfully supportive Illumination community and provided a nurturing environment for our writings to bloom. Thanks again (albeit after the fact), to Kiara for letting me “borrow” your format. Keep on lighting up Medium with your stories my fellow scribes! Can’t wait to read what’s next.