I am not a poem person. I prefer getting lost in the tales of romances and detectives. Always gravitating toward the stories with strong female leads or murder mysteries with witty investigators. That changed when I was introduced to "Milk and Honey" by Rupi Kaur. It’s a poetry book that Kaur poured her heart and soul into. The book itself is split into four sections; the hurting, the loving, the breaking, and the healing. She details the pain and experiences she and most women have with each part. I relate heavily to her experiences with an absent father and the struggle of being a woman in America. I had never seen the relationship between my dad and me illustrated before. It was breathtaking how Kaur described every moment with her father and how it directly reflected my own. The most inspiring part is that she healed from it. Everything she writes of, she’s healing from. The poetry book, a mesh of paper and ink, pushed me to reach out to my dad. After years of arguing and silence, we finally went to dinner. Kaur's work motivated me to rebuild a relationship with my dad. "Milk and Honey" now has a permanent place on my nightstand.

I love detective shows and true crime. Everything from Criminal Minds to podcasts about serial killers, it’s a guilty pleasure. Which my parents think is amusing given that I am going to college to be a mortician. The mortician or medical examiner always makes a cameo in these cases and shows. My ultimate goal is to run for coroner of my county. A coroner is an elected official that has the responsibility of declaring deaths in their district. I am going to school for a business & a mortuary degree and plan to own a funeral home, but politics have always been a part of my life. As a queer woman, a lot of politics affect me. I want to be that powerful and real woman that little girls can look up to. A figure that resembles someone like them. Coroners are one of the highest acting officials in local government. Each state has its definition of authorities and laws. In my state, the coroner can control the county jail and command sheriffs and deputies along with their duties of declaration. In addition to a job helping my community process grief and walk them through the stages of death, I’d be able to advocate for laws that bring new life to my local city. Running for coroner as a queer woman in a conservative town is bold and that’s exactly who I am.