by Lunchbox Editor | May 6, 2026
We come from different places. I was born in New England, to wealthy, well-educated parents. I inherited my mother’s blue eyes and skinny eyebrows; my father’s loud laugh. I feel at home when I see hydrangeas or taste a lobster roll. I can sail; I can ski. My favorite...
by Lunchbox Editor | Jan 23, 2026
I was in fourth grade the first time I heard one of Lana Del Rey’s songs. I was sitting on the stairs leading into my kitchen when Apple Music recommended me “This Is What Makes Us Girls,” the final song on Del Rey’s debut album Born to Die. I listened to this track...
by Lunchbox Editor | Jan 23, 2026
I don’t remember how it started, but I was in fourth grade. Visiting family in the hospital was not a new experience for me, I was accustomed to my grandfather’s frequent medical emergencies. But this time was different. This time, my aunt from New Jersey stayed in...
by Lunchbox Editor | Jan 23, 2026
Rubber gravel clung under my fingernails as I picked and threw it down in front of me. Behind us, the rusted swing set howled in the midnight wind, echoing high-pitched lullabies of childhood innocence. Under the light of the moon, the playground shone a darker gleam...
by Lunchbox Editor | Jan 23, 2026
The grandfather walks contemplatively, hands behind his back. The little girl and her brother giggle as they march behind him, hands fisted, knees high. They can’t see that he smiles as well, but they know. The setting sun glares through the trees, painting the world...
