Literary Essays
A selection of published essays exploring memory, identity, ambiguous loss, caregiving, grief, faith, wonder, and the quiet work of becoming more fully human.
“What They Don’t Tell You About Dying Alone”
A 2026 Pushcart Prize–nominated essay drawn from my years as a hospice chaplain. It explores the quiet questions patients often save until the very end of life.
“Crossing the Canyon”
Mom Egg Review
A reflection on memory, motherhood, and what it means to love a child as they become more fully themselves.
“The Courage to Bloom”
Omnium Gatherum Quarterly
An essay about the quiet courage it takes to become more fully ourselves and the unexpected ways love helps us bloom.
Read at Omnium Gatherum Quarterly →
“What Coffee is For”
Braided Way Magazine
A meditation on dignity, compassion, and the small acts of kindness that remind us we are never beyond the reach of grace.
“Let the Mystery Be”
Psyche
A reflection on presence, paying attention, and the quiet ways our lives are shaped by what we choose to notice.
Essays on Healthcare & Healing
I am a contributing writer to CLOSLER, the Journal of the Johns Hopkins Center for Humanizing Medicine and an initiative of the Miller Coulson Academy of Clinical Excellence. My essays draw on my years as a hospital and hospice chaplain and explore presence, compassion, grief, caregiving, and the deeply human moments that shape healthcare.
“The Here and Now”
CLOSLER
A reflection on moving beyond questions of blame to the healing work of presence, here and now.
“Feeling Seen”
CLOSLER
A reflection on the importance of using a person’s chosen name and pronouns, and the healing power of helping people feel truly seen.
“Holding the Healers”
CLOSLER
A reflection on the importance of using a person’s chosen name and pronouns, and the healing power of helping people feel truly seen.
Nettie Reynolds 