The Sublet

by Greer Hendricks

There should be a footnote attached to my family’s definition of “mother” that states cook, housekeeper, tutor, social secretary, budgeter, party planner, therapist, nurse, and morality instructor. At least I dodged a move to the suburbs, or I would have had to add chauffeur to the list.

As a ghostwriter hired to give voice to authors who don’t have the time or talent to draft their own books, sometimes I am required to travel for work. This is not one of them.

laugh at the irony: I am employing a technique created by the woman who caused this anxiety—in order to quell my anxiety.

But I am not here to be serenaded into serenity. I am here for a paycheck, a fairly hefty one, too, to ghostwrite Melody’s inspirational self-help book.

It’s more important to do what you think is right than to focus on what you’ve been doing wrong; Honesty starts with the promises you keep to yourself—and

the Dalai Lama, Eckhart Tolle, Paulo Coelho, Deepak Chopra, Brené Brown, Glennon Doyle.

You need to stop trying to change your body to change your life. Instead, you need to change your life in order to change your body.

“At the end of the day, does it matter your race, religion, or gender? Aren’t we all just looking to be the best version of ourselves?”

If you aren’t sleeping with your partner, you can bet someone else is.

Over the years, the greatest lesson I have learned is that our deepest wishes are whispers of our authentic lavender self, I type. We must learn to respect them. We must learn to listen. Melody didn’t say this, but I reason it sounds like her.

“Repeat after me,” she says. “With the cleansing power of this sage, I release all negative energy from this space. May my home be filled with light, love, and positive vibrations. As I walk through this sacred smoke, may my body, mind, and spirit be renewed.”