We go to Costco in the hour before closing. The tasting stands are gone. The crowds have thinned. The cashiers look tired. It’s perfect. In and out. I don’t even …
Don’t Die on the Shore
“The only real question is not one of winning or losing, but of experiencing life with an ever-increasing depth. The storyteller says, ‘Why not go down, at home or at …
Grammar and the Inanity of Serving Rules
Clarity is the purpose of grammar. There is a purpose to grammar. There are reasons for the rules. And if there are reasons for the rules, then there are also …
Shared Effort
We tried doing a holiday without being too “holiday.” It was just the two of us (my younger son and me) for Thanksgiving, so instead of cooking at home, we …
There’s a Better Option Than Hiding in the Bathroom
It’s the holidays. Families gather. Everyone smiles, for a while. Then, often, old hurts or patterns emerge. You find yourself thinking, “Why am I even here?” But you know what? …
Career Guidance?
I can’t remember my parents ever telling me to study something at college that would pay the bills. Maybe I blocked it out. Maybe they spent hours lecturing me and …
Go Ahead and Admit You Failed
Say it out loud: I failed. It’s not such a bad thing. I failed. I failed. I failed. Failure alone doesn’t make you a bad person. Failure alone doesn’t make …
Nope. No More.
“You like those beans?” I was in the coffee shop, tucking my newly purchased bag of coffee beans into my backpack, and putting my laptop onto the counter so I …
The Importance of Speaking Clearly
I had a lisp until I was about eight years old. Baseball was baathball. Cats were catths. You know the rest. Words didn’t come out right. In the second grade, …
Stop Fighting the Moment
Pain is teaching you a lesson. Listen. Your tears are telling you that you care. Hear. Your anger is revealing your fear to you. See. Stop fighting the moment. Sink …