How Shame Limits Self Knowledge By Kate Lingren Most of us don’t talk about bias or racism or sexism or homophobia much in our daily lives. There is often a lot of shame associated with discussing these topics, so we just don’t mention them. But avoidance doesn’t help us and doesn’t help our society, so …
Navigating a new world with pride and community By Lee Ruggles Some of us have come to the realization that we have always felt that we needed another person’s approval to validate our existence. It’s not a new thing brought on by today’s near isolation, but the solitude imposed by these restrictions has allowed us …
By Sandy Baker The message was brief. “I’m sorry, you can no longer schedule an appointment with your heart failure doctor. He’s working towards retirement. We have several recommendations for you.” My husband, at the age of 43, has been waiting for a heart transplant for three years. We knew Dr. Young was getting older …
By Elly Mullins I’ve been listening to the Hamilton soundtrack (and Mixtape) on repeat for the past 2 months of Pandemic Life. My four-year-old son is obsessed with the music, and he has been practicing his beat-boxing like he’s running out of time. One of the key elements from the musical is that Alexander Hamilton …
By Kelechi Udoagwu “When nobody wakes you up in the morning, and when nobody waits for you at night, and when you can do whatever you want. What do you call it, freedom or loneliness?” — Bukowski I am up at 2am, sipping tea and writing this article. Why? Because I dozed off at 9pm …
By Lauren Lake It started as disbelief. Quarantine? In 2020? It began with a mad dash for toilet paper, paper towels and anti-bacterial wipes. I remember talking with my best friend who wisely advised me to stock up on over the counter medicines and shelf stable almond milk for my kids in case we couldn’t …
By Kelechi Udoagwu “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” – Coretta Scott King I have joined and engaged with more online communities this year than ever before. As the corona virus crisis limited the spaces we could occupy physically, I have become more active online. …
Handy Traits in a Digital Age By Lee Ruggles A CAUTIONARY TALE I open my email. From Marcia: “Hello. Hope you are doing good today. Can I ask you for a favor? Thanks. Marcia” I reply: “Sure! Fire away.” Marcia: “I am sorry to bother you with this mail. I need to get an …
By Kelehi Udoagwu “Slowing down does not indicate that you are giving up. It simply means that your soul is seeking some well-earned recharge.” ― Christine Szymanski The world has gone through many difficulties this year. By simply being a citizen of any country, you’re likely to have felt grief hit close to home. As …
My husband, Greg, isn’t just a nice guy, he’s the nicest guy. It comes from his gut—there’s no faking, no thinking twice, and no trying to appeal to the person on the other side of the conversation. He’s just nice—deeply empathetic, deeply intuitive, and able to decipher what people want, need, and mean before they …