Natasha Small

Natasha Small is a former community college teacher in Maryland. She and her husband have been married for 33 years and have two daughters. Of “Where There’s Smoke,” Natasha says: “Writing this essay showed me that my husband is a hero without being heroic. Champions are easy to applaud because their valor is on parade for all to see. Average Joes manage to survive life’s perils day-by-day without fanfare and trumpets. In the face of death, my husband has the courage to keep waking up each morning and expect to keep living his best life until the sun goes down.”