If you grew up in Oklahoma, this should come as no surprise: when your roots run deep, community and family lines blur. It’s a place where non-blood relations are often counted as aunts and uncles, and older extended cousins may be called aunts and uncles too. It’s a respect thing, deeply ingrained in our culture….
As someone who is overly cautious about trusting others with my safety, there are very few people I would completely rely on. Growing up, I rode mini bikes, four-wheelers, and dirt bikes, but I was rarely a passenger. By the age of seven, I had already learned to drive a car, and as I got…
I always carry a small bottle of fragrance with me during the hot months. This was especially true when I worked in customer service for the plating industry. Midway through the day, I’d refresh with a single drop of whatever I had on hand. Usually, these were gifts or free samples I didn’t find offensive.One…
Picture this: it’s a frigid December morning with a biting wind that cuts right through you. The ground is covered in a slick layer of ice as we make our way to Stillwater, Oklahoma, for Bedlam. The temperature gauge hasn’t budged above 3 degrees Fahrenheit during our two-hour drive, and the car’s heater is working…
Picture this: I’m in full-on evening chaos mode—running gear scattered in preparation for a training run, makeup off, glasses on, and fully moisturized, ready for bed. Suddenly, David calls me into his office. I stumble in, feeling more like a feral raccoon than a bride-to-be, and he asks, “Why have you been so cranky lately?”…
Have you ever laughed so hard you had an asthma attack? Well, I (Laurie) can now say I have! For years, I’ve dreamt of adding bold orange streaks to my hair similar to a red winged black bird. I knew David, my wonderfully practical partner, wasn’t a fan of drastic changes in appearance. But this…
Over the past decade, plus a few more years, David and I have faced a lot together. From medical procedures to the isolation of a global pandemic and dealing with long Covid, our journey has been anything but smooth. But through it all, we’ve become stronger and closer. The pandemic was a real test for…
Early in our relationship, David took me on one of my favorite dates. In the early summer morning, we escaped to the cold, clear waters of Little Blue in Disney, Oklahoma. We waded upstream, away from the crowds, and I had only a small point-and-shoot camera with me. As we ventured through the serene landscape,…
From the day I met David, I was drawn to him. He had a way of brightening every day and making me laugh, and I quickly began to look forward to each chance to see him. We joked that we were work spouses. It wasn’t long until we were spending time together outside of work…
On May the 4th, a day celebrated by Star Wars fans around the world, my partner David surprised me with a proposal that left me speechless. Little did I know that this day, known as Star Wars Day, would mark the beginning of our journey towards forever. The ring David presented me with was no…