Living with AFib: Surviving Arrhythmia, Pharmacy Apps, and Cardioversion
“When the Heart Throws a Party,” “Call the Electrician,” Momma said there’d be days like this, that’s what Momma said. Now we’re off to the races. Once a song enters my head, something is usually kicking around behind it. Looks like today we’re back to…
Nadia’s Theme and the Mandela Effect: Why Our Memories Play Tricks on Us
I remember Nadia Comăneci. More specifically, I remember the music. That soft piano theme begins, and somewhere in my mind Nadia is suddenly back on the television. Montreal. 1976. Gymnastics. Perfect scores. Depending on your age, you may first…
From Tents to Neighbors: Why “What Do You Need?” Changes Everything
Camping has changed. We used to call it camping when we threw a questionable tent in the back of the car, grabbed a cast-iron skillet, packed some hot dogs, Cheetos, tea, soda, maybe a few potatoes, and hoped somebody actually caught a fish. Usually…
Are Your Thoughts Really Random? The Hidden Patterns of the Mind
Every day appears, at first, to bring new thoughts, and I complain that everything is so random. Random. What does that word even mean? Random: lacking a definite plan, purpose, or pattern. Well, yeah. By that definition my thoughts certainly look…
The Gift of Time: Why Right Now Matters More Than Tomorrow
Who knows what tomorrow brings? Well, that is an interesting way to start. Just one sentence, yet it does two things. It brings back thoughts of a song, and it asks a question: What was left undone that needs my attention? Nope. I have no idea what that…
Love At Its Hardest
We have made love too pretty. A heart. A rainbow. A little winged child with a bow who really should have had better supervision. We turned love into decoration. But love is not decoration. Love is work. Love is sacrifice. Love is protection. Imagine the…
From Star Dust to Daily Choices: Why the Universe Finally Learned to Ask What Matters
Electrons, neutrons, protons, a nucleus, and everything else I have forgotten since school. That is where my mind wandered this morning. Back to the transporter. You step onto the platform and the machine breaks you apart down to the smallest imaginable…
What Do You Need? Rethinking Compassion, Convenience, and Real Love
Sometimes we hear thunder in the distance. It may never reach us. The storm can roll along the horizon, close enough that we feel the vibration, close enough that the books on the shelves seem to rattle just a little, and then the clouds move on. The sky…
The Power of Slowing Down: Heart Health, Coffee, and Realizing What Truly Matters
“Tumble out of bed, stumble to the kitchen, pour yourself a cup of ambition…” And there it is. Pour yourself a cup of ambition. Caffeine. That is what has been missing. For years I lived on adrenaline, fast-paced noise, and yes, plenty of caffeine. Now…
The Glowing Triangle: How Convenience and Screen Time Are Costing Us Real Connection
Is it not alarming how quickly our attention can be redirected without our ever realizing it? One moment, everything we do is centered on one subject, such as our health. The next, we are staring at that glowing triangle, sneering at people who think…