My little Secret
Don't you tell him, either! (for the 47word challenge)
"Thank you for this incredible gift card! ...a massage from a fancy spa. I've heard this place is top-notch and celebrities visit. This must have cost a small fortune. I'm very appreciative of this!"
(I will never tell him that I slept through the entire massage, though.)
About the Creator
Shirley Belk
Mother, Nana, Sister, Cousin, & Aunt who recently retired. RN (Nursing Instructor) who loves to write stories to heal herself and reflect on all the silver linings she has been blessed with :)
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More stories from Shirley Belk and writers in Writers and other communities.
Wouldn't it Be Nice
Long ago, the Hebrews became tired of eating manna. Not that Heaven-made bread wasn't delicious, but human palates crave variety. I, for one, would be delighted to see a challenge that isn't fiction or poetry. Otherwise, community categories become unseen/under-appreciated/ and frankly, put out to pasture.
By Shirley Belka day ago in Writers
March 15, 2026
Merriam Webster - Word of the day: Tranche refers to a division or portion of a whole. World Contact Day is commemorated every year on March 15. It is a unique observance held globally to focus on communicating with extraterrestrial life and exploring the possibility that intelligent beings may exist beyond Earth. World Contact Day inspires people to invoke their curiosity and spend time thinking about the universe and the mysteries surrounding it. What is the “Ides of March”? According to the Roman calendar, the Ides are a monthly occurrence. In March and other months with 31 days, the Ides always falls on the 15th; it falls on the 13th in months with 30 days. The Ides traditionally marked the arrival of the new Moon and was cause for celebration. The word “Ides” is derived from Latin, meaning “to divide.” Mothering Sunday in 2026 falls on Sunday, March 15. Mothering Sunday, celebrated in the United Kingdom and Ireland, occurs on the fourth Sunday of Lent, which is exactly three weeks before Easter. Unlike the fixed-date Mother's Day in countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia, Mothering Sunday’s date changes each year according to the Christian liturgical calendar. On March 15, 2026, several notable observances and events are celebrated: Dumbstruck Day: A day to express frustration. Everything You Think is Wrong Day: A day to challenge and celebrate wrong beliefs. International Day Against Police Brutality: A day to raise awareness and advocate against police violence. My look at today, March 15, 2026 below:
By Denise E Lindquist3 days ago in Writers
My Process
The protracted, almost ritualistic rhythm of my writing—hours spent wrestling with each sentence, revisiting paragraphs, and constantly rearranging ideas—has become a crucible for my thought, reshaping it in ways that are both subtle and profound: as I linger over a single metaphor, the mind is forced to unpack layers of meaning it would otherwise skim, prompting connections between seemingly unrelated concepts; the inevitable pauses between drafts act like mental respirations, allowing subconscious insights to surface and then be interrogated with fresh, analytical eyes; the iterative cycle of drafting, erasing, and refining compels me to articulate not only what I know, but why I know it, exposing hidden assumptions and inviting me to renegotiate them; consequently, the very act of writing becomes a form of sustained meditation, where each painstaking turn of phrase sharpens focus, expands the horizon of curiosity, and cultivates a disciplined patience that permeates every subsequent line of reasoning, ultimately turning the long process of writing into a powerful engine that drives deeper, more nuanced, and increasingly self‑aware thinking.
By Forest Green7 days ago in Writers
Everyone Is Acting Normally Challenge Winners
In the Everyone Is Acting Normally challenge, something is clearly wrong, but no one stops to name it. Across the shortlist, that wrongness appears as resurrections, surveillance, disappearance, and denial, each treated as part of daily life.
By Vocal Curation Teamabout 11 hours ago in Resources
Comments (3)
This made me wonder whether has anyone slept while a dentist is prodding in their mouth, lol. Loved your story!
Pure delight, Shirley! Next time ask for a deep tissue massage. I promise you won’t sleep through that!
I always take a small cat nap, lol. Cute entry