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The Day I wished I was Invisible
I’d never seen such a thing. A thick white snowy blanket enveloped the city. The temperature was so low that Lake Michigan had frozen over and appeared to rise above the ground. “Please come with me,” he pleaded. “This is a decision we’re both making!” “But the news says people should not leave their homes unless it’s totally necessary and you know how much I hate the cold!” I responded. My husband had just graduated from medical school and training for a specialty was the next step, which also meant we had to move far away from our country and our families. The third of several interviews for medical residency…
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The Day the King walked in the Room
The tour guide directed the group into the Throne Room, the best exposition in the palace. “Hurry up and get in the line to look at the jewelry and clothes,” I called my sister. “We only have a few hours to visit the rest of the museum.” We chose a self-guided audio tour to squeeze in as much information as possible before the end of the day. The list of important items was way longer than our allotted time, so I raced to cover it all. It was high season, so the museum was filled with tired, grumpy people in mile-long lines. I was one of them. Out of nowhere…
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The Day Freedom Came
“I can’t believe I still have a curfew!” I ranted as my younger sisters watched in silence. “I can’t wait to go to college so I can be free! And you know what I’ll do? I’ll watch TV till midnight, I’ll eat pizza and coke for breakfast, and I’ll even skip classes if I want to!” Leaving home for college is nearly every teenager’s dream. Attending university looks like the door that leads to freedom. But for me, leaving home was not what I expected it to be. My mom and I found my freshman dorm and I ran up the stairs to look for my new room- my ticket…
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The Red Door
I walked through the glass doors into the cosmetics department, where the elegant sales ladies holding perfume bottles lined the way. Closing time was twenty minutes away. I had no time to waste, so I walked hurriedly, avoiding any eye contact. “Would you like a sample?” A hand came out of nowhere and placed a piece of white paper in my hand. “Let me know what you think. It’s on sale this weekend.” I smiled at the sales lady, thanked her graciously, and looked around for a trash can. My nose caught a whiff of the fragrance as I was about to throw it away. Suddenly I was transported back…
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The Day I (Almost) Ruined our Vacation
“Let’s go mom, everybody’s waiting in the car!” My daughter tugged on my shorts and pointed to the garage as I checked the white straw bag. “I’m coming honey! I don’t want to forget anything. I just have to check the doors and windows to make sure they’re locked.” I squeezed on to the passenger seat and searched for a place to fit my cargo. Toys, towels, sunscreen lotion and goggles fought for a place in the bag, imitating the children in the back seat. “Relax, honey, you’re too stressed” my husband smiled and stroked the back of my head. “We’re not moving there. You don’t have to pack the…
