Wallflower Journal

2 weeks ago | wallflowerjournal.com | Keelia Clarkson

It was mid-November when I moved to the city. Dark by 4pm, gray and dreary most days, and bitterly cold. And there were months of even worse weather ahead of me, at least four months until I could even dream of a mere whisper of warmth and sun and color. Weeks were spent dashing from my apartment to the interior safety of another, donning three sweaters just to make it through the day, taking extra, extra hot showers to thaw out. My southern California soul had been shaken to its core.

1 month ago | wallflowerjournal.com | Keelia Clarkson

Chances are, if you’re a regular Wallflower reader, you’re a lover of words, stories, and books. I’m also willing to bet that a good amount of you have dreamed of writing a book yourselves, with your unique thoughts printed on every page, with your name across the cover. But (and this will hardly come as a surprise to anyone) getting a book published isn’t easy. It’s a long, arduous process that often involves getting other people to believe in you, take a chance on you, pay attention to you.

2 months ago | wallflowerjournal.com | April Dray

“I am a Princess… I try to be kind. I try to be generous. I am kind even when others are not so generous. I believe compassion makes me strong. Kindness is power. And friendship is the tightest bond of all. I have heard I am beautiful. I know I am strong.  I am a princess. Long may I reign.”Those were the words printed on the canvas that made my heart light up.

Jan 13, 2025 | wallflowerjournal.com | Dixie Dillon Lane

The wonderful thing about celebrating family feast days is that there are no expectations to threaten to turn something that ought to be joyful into a source of distress. After all, it’s all well and good to say to someone, “On Christmas Day, just do whatever makes you joyful,” but the reality is that on such a major cultural occasion as Christmas, we do have real duties toward other people (especially relatives), and sometimes we have to accept some extra stress in light of this.

Nov 12, 2024 | wallflowerjournal.com | April Dray

Truly a work of exploration, this was not a book in which I found a “how to” guide or a lecture on how self-discipline will lead me to a life of quiet. (Although, you will find some practical, helpful suggestions in many chapters.) This book felt more like an understanding friend; for it was written by a fellow mother struggling to find a moment of silence amidst the daily demands of life we can’t — and are not called to — abandon.