Sometimes it doesn’t take much. A photo of someone traveling. A post about retirement. A woman who looks settled and unburdened. And there it is. That could have been me. The next thought follows quickly: I should have known. And before I realize it, I’m replaying it again. Looking for the exact moment. The fork in the road. The sentence I missed. The red flag I should have caught. The decision that would have gotten me out sooner. As if somewhere in the footage there is a clean exit sign I...
10 days ago • 1 min read
Dear friends, This week, I caught myself slipping into an old pattern. A friend hadn’t responded, and the first thought that came up was familiar: they’re upset with me. For a long time, that’s how I interpreted silence. If someone went quiet, I assumed they didn’t want to be around me anymore. That belief sent me chasing reassurance — especially in romantic relationships — trying to close a gap that often wasn’t real. What stopped me this time was a quiet recognition: this feels familiar....
17 days ago • 1 min read
We ended up with about three inches of snow this week—just enough to slow everything down. Between that and a pretty nasty cold that started last weekend and peaked midweek, my world got smaller for a few days. Fewer workouts. More tissues. A lot of waiting to feel like myself again. What caught my attention wasn’t just how bad the cold was—it was how quickly that familiar inner voice showed up, trying to turn one rough week into a bigger story than it deserved. Like this interruption somehow...
24 days ago • 1 min read
This weekend, I made a decision out of fear. Not fear of snow or ice exactly—but fear of losing control. The idea of being stuck for days without power or water stirred something old in me. A familiar anxiety about being trapped, unable to do what I needed when I needed to do it. So I acted. I thought through my options, chose what would steady me, and went to Destin for the weekend. Once we arrived, the shift was immediate. I felt safe. Not because everything was perfect—but because I knew I...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
I was at work this week when an email came in from my defense attorney. It started with “Good news!” The case was dismissed. Filed. Done. Nothing left to do. I read it once. Then again. I felt calm—but not happy. No rush of relief. No urge to celebrate. Just a steady, quiet stillness that surprised me. I didn’t tell anyone this at first, but I thought:That’s nice. And once again, he has no repercussions. Jaycee was in the car that day. I bring her with me whenever I can. She loves the car,...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hi friend, I got my second shingles shot on Friday. And yesterday — a rainy, gray Saturday — my body made the decision for me. So I didn’t work out.I drank more water than usual.And I let myself slow all the way down. Jaycee was more than happy to help. She stayed curled up close, fully committed to the idea that a blanket, a couch, and nowhere else to be felt like the right plan. Honestly, she was right. This week brought a quiet easing of something I’ve been carrying for a while. Nothing...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi friend, I had a quiet realization at the gym this week. The way I work out now looks different than it used to.Different pace.Different expectations.Different kind of strength. I used to measure effort by intensity — harder, faster, more.Now I measure it by awareness. How my body feels.What needs adjusting.When to push — and when to stop. That shift didn’t come from weakness.It came from experience. Later, I watched Jaycee run — fully committed, joyful, not overthinking a thing.She wasn’t...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
This Christmas gave me two small moments I didn’t expect — and I haven’t stopped thinking about them since. Neither was dramatic. Neither fixed anything. But both felt like gentle reminders at a time when life has been asking a lot. The first happened in passing. I met someone who mentioned they were from Broomall, Pennsylvania — the place I lived during the first five years of my life. Not where I grew up in the usual sense, but where my story quietly began. And for a second, it stopped me....
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Most mornings, Jaycee is already awake before I am. Same routine. Same quiet expectation. She doesn’t care what’s unresolved or what’s still taking shape. She just knows it’s time to move. When we head out together, there’s no rushing — just a steady rhythm she seems to trust completely. Watching her lately has made me think about consistency in a different way. I’ve been making very intentional choices about where I place my energy next, especially around work. I’m drawn toward environments...
2 months ago • 1 min read
