vulnerable | Drew Dotson

Join the Inspiration Parade!

Today is the first day of Creativity March! You're probably thinking, "What is Creativity March?" I'll tell you. Creativity March was...

Mar 1, 20231 min read

The Solar Saga: Reflecting on my goals for the year

Remember how I set the intentions to be more Simple + Deliberate this year? If not, you’re already caught up to speed. Since it’s nearing...

Feb 22, 20234 min read

Me vs. Mind

My mind has always been my archnemesis. Right now we’re pretty civil, but that hasn’t always been the case. I remember sleepless...

Feb 10, 20233 min read

On the right track

This is one of my favorite photos from 2022, taken in November. Yes, it’s a selfie, but this was a moment I wanted to capture. I felt so...

Feb 4, 20233 min read

A semiperturbed post about a jack-in-the-box

Let me start off by saying I wrote the first draft of this post yesterday afternoon. As I worked on what I’m sure would have been a very...

Jan 20, 20232 min read

Rain, rain, you can stay [a while]

Nothing quite brings me to life like the feeling before a thunderstorm — as the wind picks up and electricity builds in the air. I've...

Jan 12, 20233 min read

I'm published!

I was embarrassed to admit I wanted to be a writer for a very long time. I was fearful of seeming unrealistic, for one, but putting my...

Oct 21, 20221 min read

I hugged a sign.

I hugged a sign last weekend, and it hugged me back. It’s official! At this very moment, cars are driving over the Judge Ramón Alvarado...

Oct 5, 20223 min read

OMGlennon

I am here with a proclamation: I became one of Glennon Doyle’s biggest fans over the past 24 hours. I first heard her name a month after...

Aug 25, 20222 min read

A joyful heart

When I sit down to write something grief related, I occasionally feel a twinge of worry. I’m concerned that by continuing to document my...

Jul 1, 20222 min read

Circle back around

This beautiful ring used to adorn my husband's hand, but now it’s in the bottom drawer of my bedside table. When Ramón was going into the...

Jun 16, 20222 min read

Down here on earth

I cut my left hand this morning. It was nothing serious, but it warranted the use of antiseptic spray. As I got the bottle out of the...

Jun 7, 20221 min read

My [current] best

I went to a spin class two weeks ago. It was hard. I used to go regularly, but that was more than a decade ago. On top of that, I was...

May 13, 20223 min read

Leaves a mark

Earlier this week I let the dogs out for their nighttime pee in the drizzling rain. My dog Noodle was lollygagging around, so I tried to...

Oct 7, 20212 min read

Rewriting the story

After Ramón’s death a year ago, I set a goal to build my endurance until I could run for 60 minutes without stopping. I can’t recall why...

Jul 20, 20212 min read

Open doors

One day last June while I was staying in the hospital with Ramón, I decided to watch the video of his swearing in ceremony. Since he was...

Jun 3, 20211 min read

Thank you for everything

A friend gifted me this leather bracelet in August. She conspired to get a sample of Ramón’s handwriting, and my mom had a note from...

Oct 25, 20202 min read

Day +76: Mashed potatoes

This morning, day +76, while walking the dogs, my mom turned to me and asked, “Did I tell you about the dream where I was feeding Ramón...

Jun 25, 20203 min read

Day +9: Cloud not-so-nine

Today has been, by far, the scariest day of my life. This morning, at about 5:25, Ramón lost his airway, most likely due to swelling...

Apr 19, 20202 min read

Wear your seatbelt

One of these guys enjoys licking plates in the dishwasher, and the other one has a bone marrow biopsy tomorrow. When we last saw one of...

Nov 20, 20192 min read

Gallery

My name is Drew Dotson, and my life has been anything but perfect, yet it's still perfectly beautiful. After growing up with a genetic disease, cystic fibrosis, I was blessed to meet an amazing man who loved me without bounds. Then he died.

Girl Drew