Recent Entries

• I Took the Steering Wheel This Morning | PeonyMagazine

  by Peony Magazine Feb 3
  The ceiling hums faintly with the sound of a world already awake. Light leaks through the curtains, sharp and uninvited, landing across the mess on my desk, half-folded laundry, a cold mug from last night, and a notebook with too many crossed-out plans. My body stirs before my mind fully operates. T...

• The Glow-Up No One Talks About—Emotional Maturity

  by Peony Magazine Jan 27
  I spent last winter writing a piece of writing that resembled a court brief while standing in my kitchen. Every point was supported by evidence, and the calm rage that arises when you’re sure of your position intensified the entire argument. Behind me, the kettle clicked as it prepared to boil...

• When the Body Speaks, the Soul Listens | PeonyMagazine

  by Peony Magazine Jan 20
  It was a Tuesday morning when I caught myself holding my breath without realizing it. Sitting in traffic, my hands clenched tight around the steering wheel, my jaw rigid. Nothing terrible was happening, the light was just taking longer than I wanted, but my body was acting like I was in danger. ...

• I Stopped Going Out As I Couldn’t Afford to Pretend Everything

  by Peony Magazine Jan 13
  There was a time when people knew me as the big time money spender. I was the person who didn’t think twice about spending. I could go out anytime, order what I wanted, help when needed. I carried myself with confidence, and from the outside, it looked like I had things figured out. I had a g...

• Why I Stopped Pretending to Be Okay | Emotional Healing

  by Peony Magazine Jan 7
  For a long time, I treated being “okay” as something I had to perform. I knew how to act fine even when I wasn’t. I could smile at the right moments, give short answers to avoid follow-up questions, and present myself as someone who was functioning normally. Saying “I’m...