I think an excellent morning prayer is, “Whatever,” and a good night time prayer is, “Oh, well.”. ~ Anne Lamott Once again, Lamott comes to the rescue. Sometimes just a single word or two helps to simplify and figure things out. I have been struggling to write anything. I can barely put together this sentence without hitting the backspace key. […]

“It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson The more old friends change, the more they stay the same. Sorry, I couldn’t avoid using this tweaked cliche; it’s just the way it is. These people are the lifers. The ones who remember all the sordid details of […]

“Intelligent people learn from everything and everyone; average people learn from their experiences. The stupid people already have all the answers.” ~ Socrates Once upon a time I was sitting across a desk from someone for a reason that now escapes me. I was probably there to talk about work. Or maybe something completely unrelated to work. As with all conversations […]

One thing I’ve learned through all the ups and downs is that if you’re doing things right, then you have a core group of people. Not just a core group like your homies or your buddies, but a group of people that has a good influence on you, who you respect and admire, and you know that if they’re on […]

“Don’t ever diminish the power of words. Words move hearts and hearts move limbs.” -Hamza Yusuf If a resolution is made on New Year’s Day and no one is there to hear it, does it exist? After all, they say revealing your resolutions will automatically void them and they’ll never come true. Or is that birthday wishes? Still, it may […]

“I am thankful for doors. Those we close forever and for new ones we have to open.” Of all the things I want to fix up or change around in my house, I find the one that creeps into my mind most often isn’t necessarily the most urgently needed. But there it is, presenting itself to me multiple times a […]

“Magic is something you make.” ~ Keegan Hall I grew up in a Catholic home, part of a family that went to midnight (literal) Mass every Christmas Eve. Year after year, I was one in a long line of kids wearing a robe and silver pipe cleaner halo, grasping a tiny candle as we marched up the aisles of the […]

“We need more people who are willing to demonstrate what it looks like to risk and endure failure, disappointment, and regret—people willing to feel their own hurt instead of working it out on other people, people willing to own their stories, live their values, and keep showing up.” ~ Brené Brown As it usually happens, I accidentally stumbled on a […]

“It’s coming, God help us all.” ~ Acknowledgement of the arrival of the first batch of seasonal pumpkin spice syrup, as posted on a “PSL support group” by a Starbucks barista for his comrades. Latte. Muffin. Cookie. Dip. Beer. Pancake. Scone. Smoothie. Donut. Ice Cream. Hummus. Pick your pumpkin poison. Everybody loves pumpkin spice. Don’t deny it. (And don’t knock […]

“Some things happen for a reason, others just come with the season.” ~ Ana Claudia Antunes One week ago I didn’t know Jeju green mandarin tea existed. As far as that goes, I didn’t know Jeju Island existed and I can’t say that I’d ever heard of a green mandarin fruit. This week I do know these things and all […]