This fall, we invited readers to send us essays about “a moment (big or small) after which nothing was the same”—a prompt that, to our delight, inspired a record number of submissions. Below, the seven winning entries, each not only gracefully crafted, but also offering a particularly provocative glimpse into a life-altering slice of time. —The editors

Word Comets | By Wichita Sims
It’s not the brain tumor that wreaks havoc with the writer’s life; it’s the chilling medical lingo.

A Walker on Piedmont Avenue | By Flossie Lewis
Swept away by the sensual pleasures of a local bakery, the writer finds life sweet despite her disability.

Steady | By Toni Martin
Racism destabilizes an innocent friendship between two young bicycle riders.

You Never Know | By Mike Rosen-Molina
Okay, so what was the cause of the mysterious thumping in the abandoned house? Sometimes it’s more fun not to know for sure.

Full Exposure | By Demetra Tsigaris
The writer revisits a racy indiscretion and its impact on her feminist principles.

To Finity and Beyond | By Kat Meltzer
A myopic child rejects religion in favor of science—a heady new worldview, until science lets her down.

Nourish Me | By Stacy Appel
It’s hard not to envy a beautiful friend, or, for that matter, to really know her.