It's the first of the year and as is usual for me and probably, a large amount of humans, we make new year resolutions. Sometimes, we start to work towards them and then give up halfway. Other times, we don't start at all. And occasionally, we accomplish these resolutions.

‘The human mind is truly the scariest thing of all. It isn't about the fact that it is like a secret entity that cannot be deciphered. It's not because it's hidden within bags of skin, tissue and bone. It's because a person is his mind itself. A mind is what makes a person a person. Without a mind, we would be zombies. A mind is two warring factions put together on one battle field. A battle of wills; of right and wrong, of the known and the unknown…’ The phone rang, jolting Asher out of the whirlpool the book in his hand had sucked him into. He bookmarked the page and set the book on the arm of his chair, before picking the call.

Happy #FreedomFriday, minimalists!This week, my friend had a disagreement with her boyfriend. They have been dating for a week now. Apparently, my friend wanted to have long calls and conversations with him, especially due to the distance between them, but her boyfriend doesn't like calls or texting. He is probably the kind of person who loves connecting physically. Anyway, my friend had high expectations of him, that since they were dating, he would change for her, he would like calls and texts or at least try to tolerate them because of her. She expected him to make compromises for her. But, it seemed like a big problem for him, as he was always giving excuses of low battery, or prior engagements. And she would come off their short calls feeling disappointed and let down every time.

Nancy’s heart palpitated as the doctor rubbed a cold clear gel on her belly. She was already seven months in and it hadn't been an easy journey. Especially because the child she was carrying was not for her. She looked at the couple sitted beside her bed. She noticed the way they gripped each other's hands tightly and she fisted the white bedsheets in her hands. She was anxious and all she could do was let hope run through her. The doctor finally placed the ultrasound transducer on her belly and moved it around and they all looked at the screen. When the image of the baby appeared on the screen, she felt warmth course through her. She could see the grins on Luke and Stella’s face. A life was inside her and now, the life just had to fit into the criteria the couple wanted.

Life has been full of smiles and laughter since we entered the month of December. November was one hell of a month. There was no time to rest and relax as we were hitting the climax of the first school semester. School projects and work had to be rushed, so that everyone could take a breather and relax in December. This made November a hectic month, which affected my work schedule and activity on Hive.

You sit on your front porch, a cup of herbal tea in your wrinkled hands. Your eyes are dimming at the edges, so you can't really make out anything clearly, only the outlines. Your dog, Apollo lopes into the porch, whines at you, then lays at your feet. You appreciate the radiating warmth from his body and use your free hand to draw the shawl tighter around your neck. The days are longer and colder now, with no one for company and no noise and laughter to be heard. You wish for the good old days when life was fuller and happier but you know that the past can't be returned to. Everyone has moved on now. Your kids has left your wings and are now paving their path in the world. It doesn't stop you from wishing for the days when they relied and depended on you.