We’ve made happy memories in the trailer park, and that’s what matters. — I’ve rented the same mobile home for the last 8 years. That means my younger kids have spent most of their childhood in a trailer park; my oldest, nearly half her life. …

Jumping on the bio bandwagon to share a bit about myself — Hello, and thanks for stopping by! I’m Missy, as you may have guessed by the title. I’ve spent the last couple years writing for Medium, but I’ve been a published writer since 2002. Gosh, I’m aging myself. My first piece was published in Teen Ink when I was a pregnant…

I was expected to be okay with this — I woke up to a silent home. My kids were still asleep, and my boyfriend was gone. Maybe he was getting me a last-minute gift since today was my birthday. I wasn’t sure what we were doing for my birthday yet. I tried making plans with my boyfriend weeks ago…

Leave the LGBTQIA+ community alone — In May 2023, Target pulled Pride merchandise to appease folks who hate the LGBTQIA+ community. The popular retailer claims it made this decision because “we’ve experienced threats impacting our team members’ sense of safety and well-being while at work,” but let’s be real. …

She’s allowed to feel however she wants — “Got an email from your ex’s mom today,” my lawyer announced when I answered the phone. “Huh? Which ex?” “The one you’re in a custody battle with,” he replied, explaining my ex’s mother had contacted him and the guardian ad litem. …

LYLAS so KIT, okay? — “I get my yearbook tomorrow!” my son announced. “Awesome! This is a great time to get your friends’ phone numbers so you can call them during summer break,” I replied. Confused, my son informed me that he already had all of his friends’ numbers. …

Do you believe in signs from the universe? — I was washing dishes, reflecting on my past, when an image of a McSalad Shaker popped into my head. They were discontinued sometime around 2003, but I loved those shakable salads. I was a McDonald’s manager when they launched, so I ate them nearly every day. I was a pregnant…

Whip up a batch of cilantro lime rice today — I ran a food blog called Make It With Missy for years, and I miss it. Recently, some friends asked me for gluten-free recipes, so I dug up some of my old content. …

It taught me we all have our own struggles — Trigger warning: This story references abuse, suicide, addiction, and other serious topics. Libby made my life miserable in 9th grade. Moving from a low-income area to a middle-class, semi-rural city was hard. I had plenty of friends at my old school, but things were different in the suburbs. For starters…